The Eagle Has Landed

It’s Almost in the Books!  The omnibus education funding and policy conference committee met briefly today to officially adopt the conference committee report.  The bill will now head first (perhaps as early as tomorrow–Tuesday) to the House floor for approval and upon a successful vote will go to the Senate.  The bill came together late last week and it certainly is a strong financial commitment to Minnesota’s education system.  There are expectations accompanying the historic financial outlay and the unemployment insurance provision for between-term employees–while initially funded with its own line-item–will be a work-in-progress over the next few years and the expansion in the scope of negotiations will also be a challenge to be worked through.  Add to that the establishment of paid family and medical leave and you can see there will be some measure of erosion in the investment.  Still and all, this is a very strong bill and one that will meet many pressing needs and will incorporate a number of helpful reforms, particularly the READ Act and the investment in MTSS.

Here is a copy of the conference committee report (Thanks heavens for the ability to read online, because at 330+ pages, this would kill Sherwood Forest if printed multiple times):  HF 2497 Conference Committee Report

State Aid Spread Sheet:  HF 2497 State Aid Amounts