True North

We hear over and over the state of MN is broke. Legislators and the governor are already preparing to borrow another billion dollars for a bonding bill to reward a some of the states cities with community centers, zoo upgrades and union jobs. Our public servants are deceptively calling it a jobs bill. There is also a $2 billion school funding bill on the table (did they forget we are broke?) and millions for higher ed projects.

Last week Governor Pawlenty announced education funding was off the table for spending cuts (did he miss that memo that MN is broke too?). Education is almost one half of the state budget. Billions of dollars and some of our school districts cannot graduate an educated population as charged by our state constitution. A tend that has continued for decades and not for lack of funding.

Watching the president of Education MN (who makes over $160,000/year) in the latest million dollar ad campaign telling me to ask Governor Pawlenty and the legislators to fund education is driving me crazy.

Financing education in Minnesota is a complicated mess because our legislators allow it to continue to be a complicated mess. Heck they add to the complicated mess every year. See below for just the general education funding formula portion of school funding. Also below is the link for the entire mess. Read it and you will never, ever vote to pass a school referendum again.

Saturday's show will include a discussion of Race to the Top, the federal education plan currently being pushed by the Obama administration and state issues. Our schools are not just teaching reading, writing and arithmetic, the state and federal departments of education make sure of it. Tune Saturday at 4 PM.

The basic general education formula for 2009-10 is $5,124 per pupil unit. Basic general education revenue plus several additional components (basic skills, extended time, secondary sparsity, elementary sparsity, operating capital, transportation sparsity, equity revenue, training and experience, transition and referendum) make up total general education revenue.

Example - General Education Program Revenue

Gopherville School District

($ per pupil unit)

Number of Pupil Units * = 1,000

Basic Revenue = $5,124

Extended Time Revenue = $20

Gifted & Talented Revenue = $12

Basic Skills Revenue = $30

Secondary Sparsity Revenue = $10

Elementary Sparsity Revenue = $0

Operating Capital Revenue = $194

Transportation Sparsity Revenue = $62

Equity Revenue = $107

Training & Experience Revenue = $8

Alternative Compensation Revenue = $225

Transition Revenue = $16

Referendum Revenue = $425

General Education Revenue = (Basic Revenue + Extended Time Revenue + Gifted & Talented Revenue + Basic Skills Revenue + Secondary Sparsity Revenue + Elementary Sparsity Revenue + Operating Capital Revenue + Transportation Sparsity Revenue + Equity Revenue + Training & Experience Revenue + Alternative Compensation Revenue + Transition Revenue + Referendum Revenue + One-Time Revenue) x Pupil Units

= ($5,124 + $20 + $12 + $30 + $10 + $0 + $194 + $62 + $107 + $8 + $225 + $16 + $425)

x 1,000 = $6,233 x 1,000= $6,233,000

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/fiscal/files/09fined.pdf

Cross-posted at Sue Jeffers' KTLK Blog.

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