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January 25, 2022
Dear School Leaders:
Today, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced the Supporting Children and Families section of their Budget to Move Minnesota Forward. These last few years have been incredibly difficult on our school communities. The budget focuses on children, families and schools and addresses areas of need that we have consistently heard from you all in our school communities: mental health, academic and social-emotional support; high-quality early childhood options beginning at birth; out-of-school time programs; food access and more.
Below are some highlights from the Supporting Children and Families budget proposal. For more details, view the full press release, which will be posted on the News page of the Governor’s website later today.
Thank you for your continued partnership and leadership,
Heather Mueller, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Education
Budget to Move Minnesota Forward: Supporting Children and Families
Strengthen Schools and Support the Education Workforce
Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan propose investing an additional 2% on the general education formula and reducing cross subsidies for special education and English language learners, providing flexible aid to give school districts and charter schools the decision-making power to meet the unique needs of each student and school. The Walz-Flanagan budget creates educator pathways to address teacher shortages and recruit teachers of color and Indigenous teachers; establishes a Statewide Teacher Mentoring Program to support and improve experiences of professional educators; and expands the Grow You Own Teacher Training Programs to increase access to opportunities for people of color and Indigenous people to pursue a career in teaching. To reduce the burden for aspiring teachers, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor also propose covering the costs for the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Exam and teachers’ first Professional Teacher License and a teacher retention bonuses for those new to the profession. Additionally, the Walz-Flanagan budget proposes $15 million for education support professionals’ (ESPs, also known as paraprofessionals) training and development.
Expand Access to Child Care and Early Learning
To expand access to high-quality prekindergarten – which benefits children from all backgrounds, especially those in low-income families – Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan propose providing public pre-kindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds through a combination of school-based programs, Head Start, child care centers, and family child care programs. The Walz-Flanagan budget also expands investment in early learning scholarships and improves child care access for Minnesota families by increasing child care assistance payment rates to the federal standard and ensuring stable ongoing increases tied to recent market rates.
Ensure No Child Goes Hungry
To ensure no student goes hungry at school, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor propose a $183 million investment in the first year and 4% increases each following year by providing free breakfast and lunch to students attending any Minnesota school that participates in the national school breakfast and lunch programs.
Ensure Student Success for Years to Come
To boost reading proficiency statewide, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor recommend an annual allocation of $5 million to effectively implement Minnesota BOLD: A Birth through Grade 12 Action Plan for Literacy Achievement. The Walz-Flanagan Budget advances youth engagement and employment opportunities by investing $47.3 million to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate youth development, employment, and training opportunities. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor also recommend $5 million per year in to expand and sustain Minnesota’s full-service community schools grant program which has been shown to improve graduation rates and student attendance and behavior outcomes.
Prioritize Mental Health and Wellbeing
The mental and social-emotional well-being of students is critical to their success both in and out of the classroom, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan recommend $77 million to address shortages of school support personnel services that benefit students’ social, emotional, and physical health. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s also propose a $6 million annual investment in School-Linked Behavioral Health Grants which will address the increased need for community behavioral health services for both students and school staff. Additionally, the Walz-Flanagan budget recommends $9.983 million annually to enhance school-based mental health screening and $3.759 million to increase access to infant and early childhood mental health programs.
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