From expiring pandemic aid to declining enrollment, Minnesota school districts face financial pressure. Public school advocates and community organizations say long-term improvements, not short-term cuts, are the answer. In a survey from the Association of Metropolitan School Districts, large school systems across Minnesota report a combined shortfall of $317 million.
On Tuesday, the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers led a gathering of local groups, calling on district leaders to rethink the cuts proposed for the next school year. Lindsay Turner, community organizer for TakeAction Minnesota, said she is angry as a parent of a Minneapolis student.
“Parents shouldn’t have to be fighting for crumbs and showing up to school board meetings trying to protect this school’s band program at the expense of that one,” Turner contended.
Turner and others said administrators should focus on making schools more attractive for enrollment. They also want state leaders to use existing surplus funds to help soften the blow. Minneapolis district officials said last year’s boost in state funding has helped, but they still face a large deficit, forcing them to propose tens of millions of dollars in spending reductions.
Broderick Austin, associate pastor of Shiloh Temple International Ministries in North Minneapolis, said a big focus on cuts comes at the worst possible time for educators and their students. “The classroom sizes are too big; there’s not enough resources. The teachers are overstretched,” Austin outlined.
Minneapolis teachers, who went on strike in 2022, are trying to negotiate a new contract with the district. Both sides disagree over the system’s financial condition. As for state aid, while there is still a surplus, forecasts show possible headwinds in the next budget cycle.
Mike Moen writes for the Minnesota News Connection.
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