Week 3 – Education Bills Move Toward Deadline
The Week in Review
Education committees in both chambers continued hearing presentations and advancing policy discussions as the legislature hurtles toward the March 27 bill deadline. Across the House and Senate, lawmakers received briefings from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), the Permanent School Fund Task Force, and the Minnesota Violence Prevention Project. These presentations provided updates on academic standards, educator licensure, school safety research, and the structure and funding of state education programs.
Legislators considered bills addressing civic education, teacher licensure mobility, literacy supports for early learners, and school safety funding. Several proposals would expand Safe Schools revenue, restore student support personnel aid, and provide optional training for school staff on relationship-building and de-escalation strategies. Other proposals focused on new student recognitions, including civic and climate literacy seals, as well as initiatives related to attendance, screen use in early grades, and library materials. Most measures were laid over for possible inclusion in omnibus legislation later in the session, though a bill establishing a Civic Seal for high school students advanced to the Senate State and Local Government Committee.
Senate Education Policy
This week in Senate Education Policy, several bills were considered. SF 173 (Rest) would direct MDE to develop an elementary English Language Arts model curriculum that includes instruction in cursive handwriting and would add a cursive reading and writing standard in the next revision of the ELA standards. SF 2565 (Cwodzinski) would establish a Civic Seal designation recognizing high school students who demonstrate civic knowledge or engagement. Moving testimony about the critical importance of equitable access to civics education was heard from high school students who helped to shape this legislation, and the bill was advanced to the Senate State and Local Government Committee.
Members then received an update from MDE Assistant Commissioner Bobbie Burnham on the state’s Social Studies and Health academic standards (the same presentation that House Education Policy heard last week). Questions were raised from both sides of the aisle, and Ms. Burnham thanks members for their feedback and noted that she would bring it back to the working group for consideration.
The committee also heard SF 2540 (Rarick), which would create a program providing culturally and linguistically appropriate literacy materials for prekindergarten and kindergarten students reading below grade level, and SF 3685 (Kunesh) related to regulations governing certain library e-book and digital audiobook license agreements.
Senate Education Finance
Senate Education Finance members heard presentations and several funding-related proposals. The committee received a presentation from the Minnesota Violence Prevention Project, led by Dr. Jillian Peterson and Dr. James Densley, focused on research and strategies for preventing targeted violence.
Members considered SF 2634 (Westlin), which would provide $10 million in one-time funding and require schools to offer optional annual training for school personnel on evidence-based practices for relationship-building and de-escalation strategies to support safe and inclusive school environments.
The committee also heard a report from the Permanent School Fund Task Force. Related legislation, SF 3593 (Kunesh), proposes a constitutional amendment to modify the distribution formula for the Permanent School Fund, with testimony in support from education organizations including MREA, Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), and Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA). Additionally, SF 1201 (Kunesh) was amended to require the Legislative Budget Office to conduct an annual survey of school districts and charter schools regarding employee health insurance plans.
House Education Policy
PELSB and MDE presented House Education Policy committee members with updates on the COMPASS attendance data system, along with several policy proposals.
The committee then reviewed two PELSB-related bills. HF 3635 (Hill) would allow Minnesota to join the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, streamlining licensure reciprocity for teachers moving between member states. HF 3638 (Hill) is a PELSB policy bill that modifies teacher licensure provisions and would allow Tier 2 licensed candidates to enroll in approved teacher preparation programs in Minnesota or other states. A draft proposal from Rep. Mueller (R-Austin) would require teacher preparation programs approved after July 1, 2030, to implement year-long clinical experience programs for teacher candidates.
Additional legislation included HF 3585 (Keeler) establishing an Interagency Council on Student Attendance to coordinate state and local efforts to address chronic absenteeism, HF 3776 (Sencer-Mura) prohibiting individual-use screens in public preschool and kindergarten classrooms, and HF 3557 (Kraft) creating a Climate Literacy Seal for graduating students who demonstrate mastery of climate literacy and green skills. All bills were laid over for possible future consideration.
House Education Finance
The House Education Finance Committee focused on agency overviews and school safety funding proposals this week. Members received presentations from MDE on its organizational structure and funding, as well as from the Perpich Center for Arts Education on its programs and legislative priorities. The committee also heard the Minnesota Violence Prevention Project presentation on school violence prevention research and strategies.
Several school safety funding proposals were considered. HF 3653 (Greene) and HF 2717 (Greene) would increase Safe Schools revenue, with proposals to raise per-pupil state aid, expand funding to cooperative school districts, and increase support for intermediate school districts. HF 3857 (Sencer-Mura) would restore Student Support Personnel Aid to $48.73 per pupil beginning in fiscal year 2026 to support positions such as school psychologists, nurses, social workers, and counselors. The committee also heard HF 3451 (Rehm), establishing a grant program for anonymous threat reporting systems in schools. All bills were laid over for possible inclusion in future omnibus legislation.
The Week Ahead
Senate Education Policy
On Monday, March 9, Committee members will hear student testimony and consider several bills related to school governance and extracurricular activities. Proposals include SF 3548 (Westlin) requiring CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training for coaches, SF 3339 (Duckworth) directing the Minnesota State High School League to sanction cricket, SF 2831 (Cwodzinski) extending a sales tax savings provision related to MSHSL ticket sales, and SF 3963 (Hauschild) establishing five-member school boards.
Wednesday’s bills address school safety issues, and include SF 3717 (Mann), which would modify crisis management policy requirements, SF 3983 (Boldon), a requirement provision for anonymous reporting systems, and SF 2435 (Maye Quade) modifying requirements for safe and supportive schools programming.
Senate Education Finance
Senate Education Finance will hear presentations on teacher mental health support and retention from the Vital Network and the Northeast Service Cooperative. They will also consider SF 0042 (Kunesh), an appropriation for suicide prevention curriculum.
House Education Finance
In the House, the evenly divided chamber continues to rotate committee gavels between co-chairs. On Tuesday, with Co-Chair Rep. Kresha (R-Little Falls) holding the gavel, House Education Finance members will hear HF 3490 (Myers), a bill authorizing scholarship-granting organizations, and an informational presentation on HF 4040 (Bakeberg), a bill related to advance payments of the K-12 education credit.
On Thursday, Co-Chair Rep. Youakim (D-Hopkins) will hold the gavel as the committee considers several school finance bills, including proposals to restore lease levy authority for graduation ceremony space, increase Local Optional Revenue, authorize a fund transfer for West St. Paul–Mendota Heights–Eagan schools, and modify special education aid payments to charter schools.
House Education Policy
House Education Policy will meet on Tuesday with Co-Chair Rep. Bennett (R-Albert Lea) holding the gavel. They will hear updates on READ Act implementation from MDE, PELSB, and local educators, and will discuss evidence-based math instruction with the National Conference of State Legislatures and Minnesota Math Corps. The committee will also hear HF 3421 (Clardy) requiring early literacy field experience for teacher candidates.
On Wednesday, Co-Chair Rep. Jordan (D-Minneapolis) will hold the gavel as the committee considers HF 3730 (Jordan), a broad education policy bill, HF 3067 (Jordan) defining paraprofessional qualifications, and HF 3698 (Gottfried) addressing restrictions in library e-book and digital audiobook licensing agreements.
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