Latest education funding shift fails Minnesota students and schools
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St. Paul, Minn., July 20, 2011: The following is a statement from Tom Dooher, president of Education Minnesota, regarding passage of the education bill in the 2011 special session:
"School children should not be forced to pay for adult problems. But that is exactly what happened in the deal to end Minnesota's state government shutdown. Every public school student, in every public school district in Minnesota, is worse off today.
"Rather than find a permanent solution to sufficiently fund our schools, Minnesota will instead take another $780 million from schools to make it appear the books are temporarily balanced. That's almost $950 for every K-12 student in the state, and it's money no longer available for schools to educate our children. Schools will be forced to empty reserves, borrow money, and cut programs and services for students.
"When you take into account even bigger shifts in the last legislative session and various other accounting gimmicks, Minnesota has now 'borrowed' a staggering $3 billion from public schools.
"Students entering first grade today may not see the shift repaid until they are in college. That's assuming the money is repaid at all, and it's assuming that today's first-grader will be able to afford college.
"The severe cuts to higher education in this agreement will result in lost jobs and higher tuition for many years to come, making college less attainable for even more Minnesota students.
"Education is either a priority or it isn't. This agreement does not live up to the most basic and important element of our state's society, which is sufficiently funding public education for our children. The shift should be called what it is: a failure."
About Education Minnesota
Education Minnesota represents 70,000 professionals working together for excellence in education for all students. Education Minnesota’s members include teachers and educational support professionals in Minnesota’s public school districts, faculty members at Minnesota’s community and technical colleges and University of Minnesota campuses in Duluth and Crookston, retired educators and student teachers. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EducationMN
July 20, 2011