Saint Paul, MINN—On Thursday, April 26, 2018, the House passed bipartisan education legislation that prioritizes school and student safety, increases transparency in a number of areas, and helps prepare kids for a bright and successful future.
House File 4328 also includes a provision authored by Rep. Marion O’Neill, R-Maple Lake, that provides $1.6 million to the Monticello School District, which would make them whole again after the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) forced the district to make changes to the structure of their special education co-op. MDE told the school district they would be held harmless with the change, but instead they are facing a funding shortage that could lead to cutting as many as 23 teachers and staff.
“From the moment I heard about the critical funding shortage in Monticello I got to work, crafting legislation that would help the district, their students and their fantastic teachers and staff,” said Rep. O’Neill. “This funding shortfall happened through no fault of their own, as MDE misled the Monticello School District and told them they would be held harmless after making changes to their special education co-op. This funding fix is critical for our schools. I will continue to champion this measure, and my hope is that we can get this initiative to the finish line and signed into law by Governor Dayton.”