april 2004 parent leadership summit
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April 2004 Parent Leadership Summit. Education Funding in Minnesota – How Did We get Here?. Minnesota State Constitution. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
April 2004Parent Leadership Summit
Education Funding in Minnesota –
How Did We get Here?
Minnesota State Constitution Section 1.”UNIFORM SYSTEM OF PUBLIC
SCHOOLS. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.”
How Public Schools are Funded
The legislature taxes, funds and regulates;
School boards dispense funds
The Legislative Process
The Minnesota State Legislature works on a biennium basis.
One year for policy and the next for funding.
In its funding session, the Legislature sets the per pupil formula for the next two years.
Major Sources of Revenue for a School District’s Operating Fund
86% State 7.3% Local Levies 3.6% other sources grants fund raising fees 3.1% Federal
The Funding Process
Per pupil formula x AMCPU (adjusted marginal cost pupil units)
District Operating fund (General Fund)
Basic Skills revenue
ELL ($700/pu capped @ 5 years) Compensatory (capped @ $2512/pu) Transportation sparsity funding Special Education funds State $9,800 average/pu Federal $1,100 average/pu
Average General Fund Dollars in Minnesota’s public schools
According to the state’s 2003 Education Finance Task Force report
Minnesota school districts receive $7,615 per pupil
How Did We Get Here?
1. A per pupil formula that has averaged 1.14% increase annually
2. State policies reforming property tax3. The 2001 General Education Buy
Down4. “No New Tax Pledge”
Per Pupil Formula Analysis
Year Formula General Actual Actual Allowance Increase "NEW" $$ % Change
1992-93 3,050$ -$ -$ 0.00%1993-94 3,050$ -$ -$ 0.00%1994-95 3,150$ 100$ -$ 0.00%1995-96 3,205$ 55$ 55$ 1.75%1996-97 3,505$ 300$ -$ 0.00%1997-98 3,581$ 76$ 76$ 2.17%1998-99 3,530$ (51)$ (49)$ -1.37%1999-00 3,740$ 210$ 150$ 4.25%2000-01 3,964$ 224$ 95$ 2.54%2001-02 4,068$ 104$ 104$ 2.62%2002-03 4,601$ 533$ 118$ 2.90%2003-04 4,601$ -$ -$ 0.00%2004-05 4,601$ -$ -$ 0.00%
Total 1,551$ 549$ 14.9%1.14%
Flat per pupil formula
The true per pupil formula grew an average of 1.14% annually
Expenses in districts grew an average of 5% annually
How Did We Get Here?
1. A per pupil formula that has averaged 1.14% increase annually
2. State policies reforming property tax
3. The 2001 General Education Buy Down
4. “No New Tax Pledge”
State policies to reform property taxes
Class rates for taxing businesses were reduced to more closely resemble residential property tax rates
Agricultural and recreational land removed from the equation for school taxes
General Education Fund Buy Down
Annual School Taxes 1997-2002 on a $250,000 Home
$2,643$2,437
$2,069$1,760 $1,772
$793
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
How Did We Get Here?
1. A per pupil formula that has averaged 1.14% increase annually
2. State policies reforming property tax3. The 2001 General Education Fund
Buy Down4. “No New Tax Pledge”
General Fund Buy Down
In 2001, the state accepted the liability of funding 85% of
public schools cost Passed half of the legislation—the
liability was accepted, without a revenue stream to support it.
Destabilized the funding source for schools and now makes them reliant on the state’s economy
Change in percent of school revenue from the state
86.30%
72.70%65.80%
60%
1997 1999 2001 2003
How Did We Get Here?
1. A per pupil formula that has averaged 1.14% increase annually
2. State policies reforming property tax3. The 2001 General Education Fund
Buy Down4. “No New Tax Pledge”
The Decade’s Mantra
EXPECT MORE PAY LESS
“No New Tax Pledge” Developed by
the Minnesota Taxpayers League whose website states
“Everybody knows we pay too much in taxes.”-David Strom
“The Taxpayers League has been successful because we take our case to the people of
Minnesota. It is our goal to reach out to and persuade as many Minnesotans as possible”
-David Strom, Legislative Director of the Taxpayers League.
Price of Government
The Price of
Government is the State of Minnesota’s official measure and is factored as total revenue as a percentage of personal income.
17%
16%
15%
1992 2002 2006
Requirements for public schools grew while funding did not
Testing Standards Special education mandates Transportation English Language Learning Days added to the school year Health and safety mandates Physical Education HIV/AIDS Sex Education Drug/Alcohol Abuse Education Bus Safety Title 1 programs
NCLB
No Child Left Behind is possibly the largest unfunded/under-funded mandate the federal government has ever imposed on public schools.
The Office of The Legislative Auditor, State of Minnesota has said: ”Even if student’s math and reading scores improve significantly in coming years…more than 80% of Minnesota elementary schools would not make AYP by 2014...and this could trigger expensive sanctions”—OLA Evaluation Report 2/26/04
The US Department of Education contends that “NCLB is appropriately funded”. Yet in 2004-05, because of formulaic restructuring at the federal level, Minnesota will receive substantially less federal funding. –Eugene Hickock, Undersecretary of USDOE 4/14/04
What the cumulative effects of this decade have meant to
public schools
Less administration—R&D Greater reliance on local levies Fewer Art/Music programs Fewer Gifted/Talented programs Books older than the kids Cutting or charging for transportation Higher fees Larger class sizes Fewer enrichment programs Fewer intervention programs Deferring maintenance to facilities Greater reliance on parent fund raising Greater reliance on the classroom teacher Fewer fund balances; higher cost for districts to borrow money
What was happening with the economy
Between 1995 and 2001 the state of Minnesota and the federal government experienced the largest surpluses ever recorded
Minnesota rose to rank 8th in per capita income of the fifty states
Residents received tax rebate checks in multiple years
Property tax reductions were enacted over multiple years
Business tax rates were reformed
What Do We Need to Do to
Change Where We are Headed?
Know your Facts Schools have had greater expectations
placed on them with flat or decreased funding
Policies that aided property tax reform have destabilized funding for schools
The state took on the liability of providing 85% of the funding for schools without identifying a revenue stream
The “No New Tax Pledge” has created a greater dependence on fees and increased local taxes.
Make the case Taxes are not “out of control”. The State crises wasn’t inherited, it was self–inflicted State funding for K-12 was “protected” only for this year. State funding for K-12 education actually declines for the
next three years, for the first time in the history of the state.
85% of school funding is regulated by the state. You can’t use fees to support these basic services.
Few local reserves are “surplus”. School districts often have to borrow throughout the year.
John Gunyou, Commissioner of Finance for Gov. Carlson and Jay Kiedrowski, Commissioner of Finance for Gov. Perpich
Work for
What you believe in Organize Candidate Forums Work for Representatives that support your
priorities Elect representatives whose judgment and
integrity you trust Help elected officials understand your views Take your candidates and representatives on
tours of your schools Keep public schools in the forefront
start a letter to the editor campaign help parents be a presence at the Capitol
Concentrate on expanding the conversation
Local Chambers of Commerce Early Childhood parents League of Women Voters Seniors Realtors Local Business people Legislators
The Power of the Network
Together we can: provide information provide a speaker or help you be a speaker provide a state view to your local and a
local view to our state network local advocacy groups connect with state-wide advocacy
organizations present a state-wide parent voice for our
public schools
“What the best parents want for their children the
public must want for all children”
--- Dewey