Progress for Minnesota's Students

This week marks the beginning of a new school year that is sure to be full of opportunities to learn and grow for every student.

As I look forward to returning to my physics classroom for my 23rd year at Burnsville High School, I can think of no better time to reflect on how the 2013 legislative session – dubbed by many as the “Education Session” – will have a positive impact on students of all ages.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle passed a bipartisan K-12 education budget that gives schools new resources to help every child reach his or her full potential.

Here is a quick look at the local impact on schools in our region.

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District:

-Over $1.6 million ($173 per student) in additional funding this year and over $5.2 million ($562 per student) next year.

Lakeville School District:

Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District:

-Over $3.2 million ($120 per student) in additional funding this year and over $12.2 million ($455 per student) next year.

Legislators also made important progress for Minnesota’s youngest learners.

For example, we expanded scholarships to help 8,000 families send their kids to preschool and made voluntary all-day kindergarten available for every child free of charge starting in 2014. This will provide a savings of $3,000 or more to families and help us begin to close the achievement gap.

This year’s legislative session also produced a bipartisan higher education budget that freezes undergraduate tuition at the University of Minnesota and MnSCU system for the next two years and increases state financial aid. While much more needs to be done to reduce the cost of a post-secondary degree, it’s certainly a big step in the right direction toward greater college affordability.

These investments will help build the kind of highly-educated workforce Minnesota needs to stay economically competitive. I’m confident that the “Education Session” will bring good jobs to our state and spark economic growth for years to come.