Association
of Metropolitan School Districts Update
Capitol
Update
It was a busy week at the Capitol with the House and
Senate Education Committees hearing several bills. Two AMSD initiatives were heard in the
House this week. HF
2751, sponsored by Rep.
HF
3082 was also introduced last week and it offers a startling look at the
level of cuts that could be made to K-12 education depending on the end of
session negotiations between the Governor and legislative leaders. We have been told that school officials
should not “hit the panic button” over HF 3082 as it is not the House position
and that it was introduced more as a point of discussion that as a proposal that
is intended to move forward. The
author was responding to the Governor’s proposed budget which anticipates
Congress approving $387 million in federal Medicaid funding this spring. HF 3082 is an example of the type of
cuts that could occur if this federal funding does not come through. Under this bill, school districts would
see the basic formula reduced by $465 per pupil next year! The attached spreadsheet shows the
impact this bill would have on school districts.
Another top priority AMSD initiative that was introduced
this week is:
HF
3063
SF
2769 Betzold, Skoe, Saxhaug, Metzen,
Rummel
This bill would allow school boards to renew an existing
referendum by a vote of the school board.
We are really going to need the loud and strong support of AMSD board
members, staff, parents and concerned citizens if we are going to have a chance
to pass this bill. Please call or
email the authors of the bill to thank them for being a sponsor. We also need calls to the chairs of the
Education Finance Committee – Rep.
February
Forecast
The February State Budget Forecast will be released next
Wednesday, March 3. This forecast
will provide the projected revenue and expenditure numbers the Governor and
legislative leaders will use to balance the state budget. The November forecast projected a $1.2
billion shortfall. Everyone at the
Capitol is holding their breath in hopes that the new forecast will not show a
bigger shortfall.
CCRPI
Working Group Proposal
The final report from the CCRPI Assessment Working Group
is attached for your information.
The Working Group forward this report to MDE
Commissioner Alice Seagren who will, in turn, forward recommendation to the
legislature. The AMSD Legislative
Committee adopted a position in support of the general CCRPI framework. Please forward me any comments,
concerns, etc. you have about the proposed framework and I will bring them to
the attention of our legislative committee members.
Online
Learning Advisor Council
The
Minnesota Department of Education is seeking applications for membership for the
next three-year term of this council. Meetings will be held quarterly, and virtual attendance will be available to
committee members from outside the greater metropolitan area through WebEx.
See the
Online Learning Advisory Council Application Form. To apply, please
forward the form by
Upcoming
Committee Hearings
Here are
some of the upcoming legislative hearings of
interest:
Joint
Committee: Taxes and
Property Tax and Local Sales Tax Division
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chairs: Rep.
Agenda: HFXXX
Governor's tax proposals
HF2770 (Winkler) Start-up and emerging
Meeting Documents: Governor's Tax Proposals - bill language -
posting amended 2/26/2010
K-12 Education Policy and
Oversight
Room:
Chair: Rep.
Agenda: HF58
(Mullery) Middle school students taught about the juvenile and criminal justice
systems and the consequences of delinquent and criminal conduct.
HF2962
(Fritz)
HF3115
(Norton) Statewide physical education standards and report required, and a
healthy kids awards program established.
E-12 Education Budget and
Policy Division
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
Room 112
Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 1017-Bonoff: Education
referendum allowance limit
elimination.
S.F. 2384-Saltzman: School
districts referendum equalizing factor increase; second tier referendum
equalization elimination.
S.F. 511-Rosen: School
districts alternative facilities bonding and levy program and deferred
maintenance revenue program qualifications
modification.
S.F. 433-Bonoff: School
finance alternative facilities bonding and levy program
modification.
S.F. 2177-Rest: School
districts safe schools levy increase.
S.F. 1531-Torres Ray:
Mental health model curriculum creation.
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep.
Agenda: Testimony from education groups on school
district budget help recommendations.
Early Childhood Finance and
Policy
Room: 200 State Office
Building
Chair: Rep.
Agenda:
HF3200 (Peterson) A bill creating an early childhood community
partnerships grant program
Child Care Advisory Task
Force Recommendations Report
HFXXX (Jackson) A bill for
an act relating to early childhood education; modifying the child care
assistance programs
Meeting Documents:
Child Care Advisory Task
Force Recommendations (http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/docs/ChildCareAdvisoryTaskForceReport.pdf
) HFXXX (
Committee on
Education
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
Room 112
Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 2753-Bonoff: Physical
education academic standards requirement; healthy kids awards program
establishment.
S.F. 2601-Bonoff:
Probationary teacher continuing contract offer
authorization.
S.F. 2551-Wiger: Compulsory
school attendance age increase.
S.F. 2739-Fobbe: Children
with a disability definition modification; general obligations to children with
disabilities specification; special instruction for children with a disability repeal.
S.F. 2785-Saxhaug: Flexible
learning year education programs pre-Labor Day start date
prohibition.
S.F. 2738-Torres Ray:
Special school district #1,
K-12 Education Policy and
Oversight
Room:
Chair: Rep.
Agenda: HF2106
(Bly) Alternative learning centers and charter schools
five-year pilot program established to identify systemic improvement measures to
best serve eligible students, and money appropriated.
HF3157
(Mahoney) Parent notification of child maltreatment in a school facility
modified, mental health assessment required of teachers disciplined for child
maltreatment, teaching license revoked of repeat child maltreatment offenders,
and district policy required for educating employees about mandatory child
maltreatment reporting.
HF2986
(Hornstein) Responsible family life and sexuality education program created.
(pending referral from Health and Human Services Policy
Committee)
Meeting Documents:
Author's
amendment to HF3175
House K-12 Finance Committee
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep.
Agenda:
HF2751
(Morgan) Students who do not pass the reading and language arts GRAD allowed to
retake the test in paper-and-pencil format.
HF2880
(Kath) Graduation-Required Assessment for Diploma requirement for retakes
amended.
HF3123
(Morgan) K-12 special education third-party billing process made more cost
effective.
Joint Committee: Finance and Ways and
Means Committees
Room: 200
State Office Building
Chairs: Rep.
Agenda: Presentation of February
forecast
K-12 Education Policy and
Oversight
Room:
Chair: Rep.
Agenda: HFXXXX
(
Additional bills or topics may be
added.
Meeting
Documents: HFXXXX
(Newton) Advisory task force on school desegregation and
integration.
Early
Childhood Finance and Policy
Room: 200
State Office Building
School
Readiness Connections Pilot Project Final Evaluation Department of Human
Services
Pre-Kindergarten
Allowances Project Final
Evaluation