"Your School, Your Needs" Education plan focuses on Local Control

This week Senate Republicans introduced an innovative education funding bill that would provide a burst of funding directly to our classrooms while relieving districts of costly, burdensome state mandates that have long tied the hands of school boards, principals, and teachers. Here are the details:

Equitable funding for every child

The "Your School, Your Needs" funding bill would allocate an extra $175 per student for 2016 and $180 per student in 2017 – an increase of 3%. It is a fair, equitable funding method that treats every student in Minnesota exactly the same. For comparison, the governor proposed a 1% increase to the current education "formula" that distributes money unevenly across the state.

No strings attached

In the past, the legislature has forced schools to spend new money on very specific programs that may not align with students' needs. Our plan comes with no strings attached, giving schools flexibility to spend the money on innovative new ideas that boost student achievement. Locally elected school boards and parents will get to decide how their students will benefit from this funding. This plan also allows schools to opt-out of any future mandates that are forced upon schools for the next two years.

Classroom innovation

Another key feature of the proposal is the "lockbox" provision. It allows school districts to set aside money for specific projects so it cannot be touched during negotiations or budget discussions. I hope our local school boards will take advantage of the lockbox provision to innovate in the classroom.

Local priorities

"Your School, Your Needs" is about trust and priorities. For years, the only answer to problems facing our education system has been funding increases. But as we increase funding, we also cause harm to school districts with hundreds of mandates that tell them exactly what to do with the money. Our bill places faith in local school boards and parents to determine how best to spend education dollars.

The needs of students in St. Cloud are not necessarily the same as the needs of students in Minneapolis, so why do we let bureaucrats in St. Paul make education decisions for everyone in Minnesota? "Your School, Your Needs" empowers our schools to come up with bold, innovative ideas and deliver the best possible education to our children, and I'm proud to support this plan.

Please take a moment to share your opinion on this week's topic by taking the survey below.