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Education bill would infuse cash into schools
Published Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A bill passed by state lawmakers Tuesday could give Minnesota school districts more money per student next year.
The legislation calls for an additional $51 per student for next year only, and though it passed the House and Senate Tuesday, it has yet to get Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s approval.
Should the bill become law, Fergus Falls schools would see an increase of $130,000, said Superintendent Jerry Ness.
“Every little bit counts,” Ness said. “With the difficult financial straits we’re in, it would help us get out of debt that much faster.”
In theory, Ness said, the money could fund the return of two district teachers. But at this point, he said, it’s too early to know if the bill will be signed into law, much less if dollars to support those teaching positions would return next year.
Still, education funding during a non-bonding year counts for something.
“Most of the time we don’t get anything this short session,” Ness said, “so we’re certainly pleased with anything they can do.”
The bill is funded using a combination of unencumbered Q-Comp funds and budget cuts at the Department of Education, according to a press release from Rep. Mindy Greiling (DFL-Roseville), chair of the House K-12 Education Finance Division.
“We’re not eliminating Q-Comp — this is just a short-term suspension that allows us to direct unused funds to the classroom, the same as we use state budget reserves to balance the budget deficit,” Greiling said. “It’s much more important to send money to students in the classroom right now.”
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by centralmnusa (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 12:26 p.m.
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Posted by NeedMoreInfo (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 1:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
$130,000 coming to Fergus Falls? Let's give it to Pebble Lake GC!
Posted by prowler (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I fail to see how hiring two more teachers will help the district get out of debt faster. Must be some of that new math they're teaching these days.
Posted by FergusFamily (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 2:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope that's a sarcastic comment. Giving money earmarked for education - to golfers? Get real.
Posted by thetruth (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 2:48 p.m.
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Posted by NeedMoreInfo (anonymous) on May 14, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FergusFamily,
It was most definitely a sarcastic comment relating to the city of Fergus Falls bailing out Pebble Lake GC.
http://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2...
Posted by dwoodman (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 8:36 a.m.
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Posted by PRFISHER (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 8:51 a.m.
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Posted by pigskin (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 9:22 a.m.
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Posted by lostebayer (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
to "thetruth" (which is obviously FALSE)
Underwood's preschool teacher IS licensed, she just wasn't at the time of the interviews & her subsequent hiring. She is fabulous!
Underwood has just made a series of hirings for next year, none of them chosen for their coaching abilities. In fact, one candidate was quite successful in their coaching career and NOT chosen. Thanks to Fergus & their cuts, Underwood just hired a VERY well-liked & talented music teacher that will more than likely continue where Mr. Farsdale is leaving off. Cudos!
Posted by TKay (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Back to the topic of the Education Bill. It will be interesting to see if this passes and is an indication that there is some recognition that the current method of school funding is no longer working. If you are concerned it is important to let your legislators know that. The basic state aid for schools is scheduled to increase ONLY 1 percent for the 2008-09 school year. As all of us know costs are going up FAR faster than that. A survey of Minnesota school districts indicates that more than 1,000 teachers could lose their jobs due to budget cuts this year. This is a statewide issue.
At MACCRAY school, they are looking at going to a 4 day week due to finances. MACCRAY is an acronym made up of the three communities the district serves: Maynard, Clara City and Raymond. It sounds like they are going to closed on Mondays if approved by State Education Commissioner Alice Seagren. These types of things as well as increased fees are going to happen more and more.
Posted by dwoodman (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 11:44 a.m.
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Posted by TKay (anonymous) on May 15, 2008 at 3:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Call the Governor's office, 800-657-3717, and ask him to sign HF6 or give him feedback about it. This would mean some additional monies for the schools in our area. Here is the link to the current bill. https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/...
Thanks to Rep. Nornes for supporting the bill.
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