PRESS RELEASE
May 1, 2018 - ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton announced a proposal for $137.9 million in one-time Emergency School Aid, which would provide additional, needed state funding for school districts across the state. Right now, at least 26 school districts in the metropolitan area and 33 school districts in Greater Minnesota are facing immediate budget deficits that could result in hundreds of teachers and support staff being laid off, along with significant cuts to school programs, in the coming year. Governor Dayton’s proposal would increase school funding by 2 percent, resulting in $124.1 million in new one-time aid to school districts in fiscal year 2019, and $13.8 million in fiscal year 2020 (formula aid goes out to districts on a 90/10 basis – 90 percent in first fiscal year and 10 percent in the following). This new funding amounts to an additional $126 for every student in Minnesota.
Read full press release.
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ACTION ITEMS
Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program requirements are outlined in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09, the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act. Please share the following Minnesota Department of Education guidance regarding rights of part-time and full-time PSEO students with your school site(s) and staff who work with PSEO students:
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Participation in high school activities. Students participating in PSEO should be treated as regular high school students with regard to activities organized or sponsored by the student’s high school. This includes National Honor Society, athletics, clubs and organizations, dances and graduation ceremonies.
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Access to building and technology. School districts must allow PSEO students to remain at the school site during regular school hours. In addition, school districts must adopt a policy that provides PSEO students with reasonable access to computers and other technology resources that the student needs to complete course work. Examples could include access to the computer lab, the building’s Wi-Fi connection, or use of a tablet or laptop.
The PSEO Reference Guide is available on the PSEO Program page of the Minnesota Department of Education website. If you have PSEO course or program questions, please email Beth Barsness or call 651-582-8336. For PSEO finance or reporting questions, please email Jeanne Krile or call 651-582-8637.
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Read the April 19 memorandum regarding Career and Technical Education (CTE) Levy Reporting from Chief Academic Officer Greg Keith, and Paula Palmer, director of the Office of Career and College Success. The CTE Levy reporting system opened April 19 for entering the anticipated FY19 (2018-2019 school year) budgets. Budgets must be entered for approved CTE programs by June 11.
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.4531, directs the Minnesota Department of Education to annually recalculate the authority of a school district to levy for costs associated with its CTE programs. Districts must submit annual budgets for their CTE programs to qualify for this permissive levy.
For assistance with detailed questions about the CTE Levy Program System, contact Shelli Sowles (651-582-8403).
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Proposals for Homework Starts with Home, which will support efforts to end student homelessness, are due by Mon., June 4, 2018, at 4:30 p.m. CDT. To assist potential applicants in considering how the program and its preliminary practice model could be implemented, the partners sponsoring the initiative have arranged a series of additional information sessions on specific elements of the practice model including:
- Leveraging Mainstream Resources, May 10, 2018, 10-11:30 a.m.
- Progressive Engagement and Rapid Rehousing, May 18, 2018, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Trauma-informed Care in Schools, May 24, 2018, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Lessons from the Hamilton San Francisco Pilot, May 31, 2018, TBD
All sessions are free to attend. Sessions will be held at Minnesota Housing or the Minnesota Department of Education, and will be broadcast online and over the phone. To register and receive additional information, please see the Homework Starts with Home webpage.
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For districts that created up to $300 of board-approved referendum allowance beginning with the 2014 Pay 2015 Levy Limitation and Certification Report, and lasting for five years, the board-approved referendum allowances are phasing out. To continue this funding, the school board will need to recertify the board-approved referendum allowance by adopting a new resolution.
Districts reauthorizing a board-created allowance must include in the resolution: the amount to be reauthorized, the year this reauthorization is to be effective (Pay 2019), and how long the allowance is applicable (five years maximum). We recommend the resolution is passed and submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education prior to September 1, 2018, so that the reauthorized allowance is included on the 2018 Pay 2019 Levy Limitation and Certification Report. Please submit a copy of the approved resolution to Michael Schwartz.
If you have any questions, contact Michael Schwartz (651-582-8399).
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
Last month, we had to cancel an ESSA implementation regional meeting in Sartell due to weather. We have rescheduled this meeting for Wednesday, May 16, at Resource Training and Solutions from 1-4 p.m. This meeting is open to all districts and charters – we hope you are able to join us! Please see the ESSA Regional Meeting registration site for more information and to let us know you will be there. Select the RESCHEDULED Sartell meeting at the bottom of the locations list.
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This summer, Governor Mark Dayton is hosting the 2018 Minnesota Tribal Youth Gathering, which aims to bring together Native American Youth and tribal and community leaders from around the state. This gathering will recognize the important work that Native youth in Minnesota are doing to improve communities as well as address topics such as culture, language, history and public leadership.
Participants in the day-long workshop will be able to share their stories and work with community and state leaders to empower one another and ensure a bright future for generations to come.
This gathering is the first of its kind, and will take place on July 27, 2018, at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus. All Native American youth ages 14-24 are encouraged to apply by completing the Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) Challenge by June 30 and pledging to make a positive impact on their communities.
See details in the Governor's May 1 blog. For more information, visit the Center for Native American Youth.
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