A bill that would expand funding for concurrent enrollment and College in the Schools received support in the House and Senate this week. It was presented in House Education Innovation Policy Committee and the Senate E12 Committee.
The bill requires participation and expenditure information for career and technical education courses offered as a concurrent enrollment course. It allows 9th and 10th grade students to apply to enroll in a concurrent enrollment course, subject to the approval of the affected school district and the postsecondary institution and removes the limits on postsecondary enrollment options course taking for students not on track to graduate.
The bill takes general fund appropriations to the Office of Higher Education and the Department of Education to develop and expand concurrent enrollment courses, including courses in career and technical education, disseminate information, and provide teacher training.
HF1217 sponsored by Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) was re-referred to the House’s Higher Education Committee. Though the bill has no GOP authors, the committee was generally supportive and did not express much concern for the $23 million price tag.
SF995 is the companion bill sponsored by Sen. Greg Clausen (DFL-Apple Valley). It received a welcome hearing on Thursday and was re-referred to the Finance Committee. MREA has been involved with crafting this legislation with the bill authors and strongly supports seeing this in the final education omnibus bill.