SAINT PAUL, Minn. - During the opening week of the 2024 Minnesota Legislative Session, Representative Liz Lee (DFL-Saint Paul) and Senator Jim Carlson (DFL-Eagan) introduced HF 3492 to fund computer science programs for students and streamline computer science education in Minnesota schools. Currently, Minnesota ranks last in the nation for access to high school computer science courses, with stark disparities among high schools in urban areas.
"We need to invest in our teachers now to prepare our students for a 21st-century economy,” said Rep. Lee. “The tech industry is constantly changing and growing, so how we teach computer science has to change and adjust too. This is why the investment in this bill is so important.”
The bill establishes a $4 million fund to provide grants through the Department of Education to current programs offering computer science education, and a $4 million fund to build infrastructure for training Minnesota’s teachers.
Last year’s 2023 Education Finance Bill took the first step to streamline computer science education in Minnesota by funding Rep. Lee’s bill HF 759 at $1 million to establish a full-time position at the Minnesota Department of Education, and a working group dedicated to laying out a plan to improve Computer Science education in Minnesota. This year’s bill HF 3492 will begin implementing the working group’s plan and is the next step to supporting computer science across the state.
“Computer science is the foundation of our modern economy,” said Sen. Carlson. “We are moving into an automated world and these skills are in higher demand. Funding computer science educator training will prepare students for our future workforce needs. The STEM education I received when I was a student inspired me to become an engineer. I want to give students that same opportunity to explore the innovative world of computer science.”
"Computer science is the driving force behind many of today's technological advancements, shaping industries and revolutionizing the way we live and work,” Lindsey Hess, IT Director, Kasson-Mantorville Schools, Minnesota. “Our district received a grant last year and it has been a catalyst that has driven our district to begin building a scope and sequence for computer science and technology skills. We look forward to expanding our offerings for students because we know these 21st-century skills are essential to the future of our youth."
Access to computer science courses in Minnesota is limited across the state, but there are stark disparities:
12% of high schools in urban areas offer computer science
18% of high schools in suburban areas offer computer science
25% of high schools in rural areas offer computer science
Jeff Tollefson, President and CEO of the Minnesota Technology Association, supports the legislation.
“Increased state funding for computer science educator training and capacity building is long overdue, which is why we applaud and support the efforts of Rep. Lee and others in leading this important initiative,” Tollefson said. “With technology impacting all facets of how Minnesotans work and live, it’s critical to the future success of Minnesota’s innovation economy that we develop our next generation of technology creators rather than simply technology users.”
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