Recent Article published in the Mankato Free Press

According to a survey of more than 170 Minnesota superintendents published recently by the Twin Cities education think tank Minnesota 2020, state education funding simply isn’t working.
Last November, almost 33 percent of all Minnesota school districts approached voters with operating levy referendums — and those were the districts that did not have them already. And according to the survey, those districts that lost their referendums will have to cut between six and seven teachers. At least 86 percent of those districts will have to propose a new levy in the next three years.
While Gov. Tim Pawlenty has maintained his no new taxes pledge, property taxes have risen all over the state. In 2003 when Pawlenty took office, the per-student levy average was $628. In 2006, that number had reached $796 and continues to rise.
John Fitzgerald, a fellow at Minnesota 2020, did not mince words.
“Schools cannot stay afloat using only state money,” he said. “ The Pawlenty legacy will be that of a man
who cares less about children’s education than his pocketbook.”

In 2001, the Minnesota Legislature modified the education funding system to release property taxpayers from the burden of financing their local schools. That year, the per-student levy average dipped to a several year low of $ 357. Under that 2001 plan, operating levies would only be needed to pay for extras. That plan is out the window.

“A substantial number of districts need levies just to survive,” said Matt Entenza, founder of Minnesota 2020 and a former DFL House minority leader.

Montogomery- Lonsdale taxpayers voted no to their district’s operating levy last fall. Supt. Corey Lunn said the city was raising taxes almost 20 percent at the same time to repair infrastructure, and voters were left with the unsavory choice of which taxes they could afford to support.

Lunn doesn’t begrudge voters for not choosing both. Montgomery-Lonsdale is a small community, he said, with most families living on moderate and fixed incomes. But because the district lost its referendum, Lunn had to cut 10 percent of the district’s $8 million budget.

Something, he said, needs to change to make education accessible for all students no matter the demographics of their community.

“The current formula is inequitable,” Lunn said. “Compare a student in Edina to a student here in Montogomery- Lonsdale. The level of education is not the same.”

St. Clair also lost its operating referendum last fall.

Now, said Supt. Tom Bruels, the district is facing “significant reductions.” Although the exact amount is yet to be determined, Bruels said staff cuts are inevitable.

“Our shortfall is significant enough that we have to look at cutting big chunks out of the budget,” Bruels said. “That means personnel. And cutting personnel affects programs and program quality.” The future does not look much brighter.

While district budgets typically increase 3 to 4 percent each year due to increased salary and benefit costs as well as heating and transportation costs, state funding is slated to increase less than 2 percent next year. Because of state budget shortfalls, there are already whispers that funding will be frozen in 2010.

“It has become a life or death emergency for many schools to pass their referendums,” Fitzgerald said. “Schools simply can’t survive on state money alone.”