Posted: 2/18/04

Nienow backs education funding plan

District 17 State Sen. Sean Nienow, R-Cambridge, has joined with other Senate Republicans to unveil legislation that seeks to achieve greater equity in per pupil funding of K-12 students throughout Minnesota. Under the proposal, a ìbalance requirementî would cap the total amount of ìadd-onî funding that school districts could receive, and limit the ìadd-onî to 50 percent of the basic formula allowance. On a statewide basis, Nienow said the average school district receives revenue from these sources that place it 35 percent over the basic formula allowance. However, 40 different districts exceed 50 percent, and some are even more than double the formula allowance, he said. The resulting differences in per pupil funding is hundreds and even thousands of dollars. The 11 add-on revenue sources to be included under the requirement include: Extended Time programs; compensatory; Limited English Proficiency; Training and Experience; Sparsity; Transportation Sparsity; Operating Capital; Equity; Transition; Vocational Education; and integration for desegregation plans.

Top of Page