The Minnesota House advanced the E-12 education budget on a vote of 73-60.
According to a release, the House DFL’s E-12 education budget stabilizes school investments with a 2 percent per pupil increase each of the next two years, with additional increases the following two years.
Under the proposal, voluntary Pre-Kindergarten programming that would otherwise expire is protected for 4,000 of Minnesota’s youngest learners.
Rep. Matt Bliss (R-Pennington) says that while he did not vote for the package, he was pleased to see that the transportation shortfalls, especially felt by Bemidji Area Schools, were funded.
Bliss said he did not vote for the package because he did not agree with new policies around student suspension, and that he would rather see the funding go directly to schools rather than through the Minnesota Department of Education, citing local control would be best.
Bliss represents the city of Bemidji, as well as portions of Beltrami, Cass, Hubbard and Itasca counties within the 5A House district.
Listen to the full interview with Bliss here:
