I’d like to wish all our Plymouth students and families a great school year ahead! The resiliency our kids, teachers, para- professionals and schools continue show is powerful, and I am glad we could assist at the legislature by making largest investment in public education in 15 years, so our students in ISD # 279, 284, and 281 can access the resources they need to catch up and thrive. The rampant COVID-19 Delta Variant has created additional challenges amid the ongoing pandemic, and it’s never been more critical to get a vaccine to help ensure our students can be safe and healthy after the disruption to learning our families have seen across the state last year. Let’s keep working together to combat the spread by masking up, maintaining a safe distance from others, and thoroughly washing our hands.  Tax Benefits on School SuppliesAs your family prepares for the upcoming academic year, many school supply purchases qualify for K-12 tax benefits to your 2021 Minnesota tax return. Save receipts from these purchases, including distance learning needs, and claim the K-12 Education Credit or Subtraction. You can learn more about these tax returns here. Here are some expenses that qualify for refunds: - Paper and notebooks
- Pens and pencils
- Rental or purchases of educational equipment, including musical instruments
- Computer hardware (including hotspots, modems, and routers) and educational software (up to $200 for the subtraction and $200 for the credit)
- After-school tutoring and educational summer camps taught by a qualified instructor
Redistricting Process BeginsIt’s time to start the redistricting process that happens once every ten years. The objective is to make sure the new maps are fair and reflect the geographic, racial, ethnic, and economic diversity of Minnesota. Redistricting happens every decade after the U.S. Census is conducted. Legislators use full and complete Census data to draw political maps that reflect how the population in Minnesota has changed. That means redrawing the boundaries of Minnesota’s eight congressional districts, 67 state senate districts, and 134 state house districts. At the end of the process, each one should contain approximately the same amount of people as other districts of its kind. In Plymouth, we saw a population growth of 13%, bringing our current population to 81,026. Check out my latest column on redistricting in the Sun Sailor. It's critical that this process is transparent and open to the public. In the coming weeks, the committee will be hearing from folks from every corner of the state. Residents of our district, the 3rd Congressional District, are encouraged to testify on Monday, September 13 at 3:00 p.m. As the vice chair of the House Redistricting Committee, I encourage you to share input with us on how the maps should be drawn, and the overall redistricting process. Plymouth residents can sign up to testify or submit written testimony by emailing nancy.conley@house.mn.  Keep in TouchPlease continue to reach out anytime with feedback, questions, or to let me know how I can be of assistance. I value your perspective and our shared goal to make our community and state an even better place to live. Have a safe Labor Day Weekend. Be well, Ginny Klevorn State Representative |