Pioneer Press article by Christopher Magan

Gov. Mark Dayton’s latest two-year state spending plan makes one thing clear: Education will remain a top priority during his final term.

The governor’s 2018-19 budget proposal includes more than $900 million in new money for public schools, state colleges and universities. That’s 75 percent of the $1.2 billion in new general fund spending and tax cuts proposed Jan. 24 by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party governor.

Education spending, from preschool to college, has already risen more than $2 billion during Dayton’s tenure. Some of the increase went toward new programs and new students, but much of it was focused on shoring up schools’ budgets after years of stagnant state support.

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