SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House Education Finance Committee held a public hearing on Rep. Matt Norris’s (DFL - Blaine) bill, HF 439, which will increase the general education basic formula allowance for K-12 public schools by five percent each of the next two years and tie future increases to the rate of inflation.
“We have long prided ourselves on the quality of our public education in Minnesota. In recent years, our education system has struggled to meet the growing needs of students as funding has fallen short of what’s needed to maintain a world class system. The cost of this disinvestment has primarily fallen on our students as policymakers have failed to provide the funding to prepare students for the future. This bill will help our educators make sure all students succeed,” said Rep. Norris. “By using our surplus to provide a much-needed funding boost and tying future increases to inflation, we are guaranteeing that our students will receive the resources they need, no matter what. Politics and gridlock would no longer be able to get in the way of funding the future of our state. I am grateful for all the fantastic support on this landmark bill, and I will continue to push for it as we move into budget discussions.”
The per-pupil formula allowance for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 is $7,206 and $7,566 respectively. Future increases will be equal to the 2025 rate times inflation.
The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the broader education funding bill the House will introduce later this session. Video of testimony and debate on the bill will be uploaded here.
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