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March 24, 2023
Updates in this email:
Governor Walz signed the Free School Meals for Kids bill on Friday, March 17. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is excited to implement this program for our students in Minnesota. This legislation provides state reimbursement for a free breakfast and lunch to all students at schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). The Free School Meals for Kids Program will start on July 1, 2023.
MDE will create a new webpage under Food and Nutrition Services, within the School Nutrition Programs section. This is where we will post information, guidance, training opportunities and other resources. We will also send out a series of email bulletins. If you already receive our School Nutrition Program bulletin, you will receive these updates. If not, subscribe to our bulletin or visit the Connect with Us webpage to see archived bulletins.
Any questions on the Free School Meals program should be directed to mde.fns@state.mn.us.
Minnesota schools and districts are invited to apply for the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) for Cohort 9 grant. The purpose of the 21CCLC grant is to support the creation or expansion of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for young people, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. Community learning centers help students meet state and local standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math, offer students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs, and offer literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
Public and private organizations focused on students enrolled in schools eligible for Title I schoolwide programs are invited to apply. This includes Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized tribes and American Indian organizations, public schools, private schools, charter schools, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, non-profit agencies and for-profit corporations. Current and previously funded 21CCLC grant recipients are eligible to apply. Individuals are not eligible to apply. See the grant opportunity instructions document for specific eligibility criteria.
Applications for 21CCLC are due May 1. The application forms and instructions are available on the Competitive Grant Opportunity page of the MDE website.
A product of 18 months of collaboration with MDE, the Office of Higher Education, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, a new report outlines how Minnesota funds its dual enrollment programs and details a set of consensus recommendations to advance equity of access and student success.
Access Improving Minnesota's Dual Enrollment Funding Model: Reflections and Recommendations from the Field.
With support from the College in High School Alliance, the report was developed with input from over 230 representatives from high schools and colleges and over 340 students across Minnesota. It outlines how the current funding system contributes to a myriad of challenges faced by high schools, colleges and students—and details a list of recommendations aligned to the FY2024–25 Governor’s Budget Recommendations, including:
- A pilot program to fully fund Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) by centering equity
- Updates to the PSEO transportation formula statewide
- Collection and reporting of PSEO data by contract from all dual enrollment partnerships
- New research into Minnesota’s Dual Enrollment Programs
Design Workshop Invitation for PSEO Full Funding Pilot
The collaborative partners on this report are considering holding one or a series of design workshops for interested stakeholders across Minnesota to continue building out the PSEO full funding pilot recommendation.
Register your interest by completing the Minnesota PSEO Full Funding Pilot Design Workshop Interest Form. Please note that your browser must support Google apps for the form to open correctly. If the form does not open correctly, copy and paste the link into a different browser.
For questions, contact mde.postsecondary@state.mn.us.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month off their internet bills (or up to $75 per month for households living on Tribal lands), as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 off an eligible connected device like a laptop, desktop computer or tablet. In many cases, households can get high-speed internet without paying a dime by choosing a fully covered internet plan.
This announcement serves as a reminder that a household is eligible to participate in the ACP if a child in the household receives free or reduced-price school meals. Therefore, under the ACP rules, every household with a child attending a school participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program is eligible for ACP benefits.
Households can learn more and apply for the ACP at GetInternet.gov.
While this reminder is specific to schools that are participating in CEP, additional information about eligibility for CEP discount benefits can be found in the School Outreach Toolkit PDF (English) and School Outreach Toolkit PDF (Spanish). The toolkit provides information about ways households can qualify for the ACP, including through an individual student’s participation in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program providing free or reduced-price meals; through a household member’s participation in a wide range of other federal assistance programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and many others; or based on the household’s income (up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level).
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Center is offering trainings on restorative practices during the month of June, online, in the metro area and in Greater Minnesota.
Restorative Practices circle trainings will be offered and are recommended both for people beginning their restorative journey and for those with personal, cultural or professional experiences who wish to deepen their knowledge in a supportive community. Offerings will include training to build community, to learn from our stories, to repair relationships, and to teach. Register now for Restorative Trainings Online, Greater Minnesota, and Metro – Crystal.
You can find more information on our Implementing Restorative Practices webpage. Contact Nancy Riestenberg, 651-582-8433, Grace Yang, 651-582-8777, or Gregg Campbell, 651-582-8796, for further information.
Safe Routes to School Boost grants are intended to help boost Safe Routes to School (SRTS) efforts! Through these grant awards, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) will support communities with existing SRTS plans, or other comprehensive SRTS approaches, in advancing non-infrastructure strategies for schools. The strategies should support making it safe, easy and fun for students to walk and bicycle to school.
More detailed information on eligibility, funding restrictions/requirements, and the grant application materials are available on the MnDOT SRTS Boost webpage. View past Boost awards to get project ideas and cost.
Two SRTS Boost Grant informational webinars are available on:
- Tuesday, March 28 at 1 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 12 at 11 a.m.
Grant application requests may range between $5,000-$50,000 and do not require a match. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 17 and must be submitted online. Awardees will be announced in June, with funding beginning in September 2023 and ending in June 2025.
Attention schools implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)! Please consider applying for Minnesota PBIS Sustaining Exemplar Recognition. Minnesota PBIS Sustaining Exemplar Recognition identifies and recognizes exemplar schools that have completed PBIS implementation and are continuing to achieve positive student outcomes. Visit the Sustaining Exemplar page for more information, including application materials and the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Application Overview recording. The deadline for applications is April 7.
Below are the links to the different applications. Please use the descriptions to determine which one your district or school should complete.
Please email mde.pbis@state.mn.us with any questions.
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