Minnesotans Willing To Invest

By Peter Hamma, Graduate Research Fellow, November 11, 2011 at 12:00 pm

This week, Minnesotans went to the polls with a clear message for state policymakers: Our schools need better investment. If you aren't going to do the job, we'll take matters into our own hands.

With 70% of ballot referenda or proposals being approved, voters said they're willing to pick up the tab for better schools. While their commitment to invest in education should be applauded, putting more of this burden's cost on the backs of property taxpayers is bad policy.

Here's why, the wealthy districts will continue to gain resources as districts with less property wealth stagnate or decline. The other major issue with this method is that these localized property taxes push communities to compete with each other rather than strengthening the idea that Minnesotans are all in this together.

A fairer more equitable school finance mechanism is increased state funding to schools, with local taxpayers providing the extras they feel their communities need.

This mechanism helped Minnesota schools top national rankings in a number of categories over the years. But state legislature continues its retreat from this policy. Once again the state budget was balanced by shifting payments to schools.

In an increasingly globalized economy we should be expanding educational opportunities and working as a state to better compete and lead the way. We should not separate and let local communities try and do it alone. This is an unsustainable model which could leave many small, rural communities behind.

Minnesotans are willing to invest. Let’s make sure we raise that revenue in a fair and progressive way.

Posted in Education | Related Topics: K-12 education  Education Funding  State Budget  Minnesota Elections