Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) are hoping school leaders, community organizations and legislators will rally around quick passage of a recovery package for E-12 schools.
It is aimed at summer educational recovery programs and filling some of the budget holes in district budgets caused by the loss of pupil counts this year.
The summer program funding revolves around community partnerships, college tuition for recent graduates, preschool for 4- and 5-year olds this summer, mental health supports and more.
The MDE envisions comprehensive partnerships designed to aid in fostering diversity and equity in education, while incorporating family engagement models into the programming.
The proposed Declining Enrollment Aid would send $25 million back to school districts based on the level of pupil loss this year compared to the last school year. See impact by district.
The revenue for each district in this run was based on enrollment figures submitted last October for the November budget forecast. It will be updated later this month as final pupil counts have come in for the February forecast.
