Panel to unveil plan to fix imbalances among public schools

Edison High School
A class in the Humanities and Communications program at Edison High School in Minneapolis.
Photo courtesy of Minneapolis Public Schools

A legislative task force will unveil a plan today for reworking the funding system for public schools.

Members of the House-Senate panel have been working since last fall on their education finance reform plan.

Lawmakers are concerned that the growing reliance on local tax levies to fund school district operations has created an imbalanced financing system.

The task force recommendations have not yet been released and will not be addressed until next year's legislative session.

Gordon Parks High School
The new Gordon Parks High School is at 1212 University Ave. in St. Paul. The $7.5 million building serves about 300 students.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson

But DFL Rep. Mindy Greiling of Roseville says changes are needed now to create a fair system. "It is past the tipping point because we have all these levies that pass or fail. And it all relying on the unfair property tax. It's come to a head, it's boiling and we need to do this," Greiling said.

Greiling says the task force will build upon the work done more than a year ago by a coalition of education groups called P.S. Minnesota.