The Minnesota Senate released on Monday it’s education budget proposal for the next two years. The Senate plan calls for the addition of $300 million over the forecasted figure, or a $1.14 billion increase in education spending for the FY 18-19 budget.
Inside the Senate Plan:
- 1.5% and 1.5% on the Formula ($91 pupil per year; $274 million)
- $2 million additional funding for early learning scholarships
- $2.185 million in Early Childhood & Family Education (ECFE) increase by linking it to the formula increase
- $4 million for grants for counselors and support staff by reducing MDE’s allocation
View side-by-side comparison of the three proposals on key education issues. The Senate tax bill will be released Wednesday.
While the Senate E-12 target falls short of the Governor’s desires, it exceeds the current House proposal released last week. The Governor’s plan stacks up to an additional $709 million over the forecast figure, resulting in a comparable increase of $1.55 billion. The House GOP would like to add $258 million. If you see the figure $1.1 billion in new money, that’s the House adding the current biennial growth of $844 million in education to their new $258 million in funding. Learn more.
What’s Next?
The state budget battle is officially underway. The GOP wants to stake their budget claim first and may push forward with an education bill they know will be vetoed. That’s the design of the session and our relatively early bill deadlines. But it does make it more challenging to get an education bill signed into law by the end of session.
