Minnesotans and their families work hard. And they have every right to be concerned about how much of their income is collected in tax revenue and how those monies are put to use.
One of the best uses for Minnesota tax dollars is public education. P.S. Minnesota advocates for adequate, sustainable education funding that’s rationally tied to student achievement.
Minnesotans reap the benefits of investing in public education through:
- Increased personal income of future wage earners, providing a broader tax base to help support necessary state infrastructure such as roads and bridges and natural resources.
- A stable economy, including solid property values and high employment.
- Decreased cost of state services such as MinnesotaCare, incarceration, and community college remediation costs and lost earnings.
State Funding vs. Local Levies
In 2007, ninety-nine of Minnesota’s 336 school districts asked local taxpayers to increase their local levies, mostly to fund basic services. Fully two-thirds of those levy requests were granted by local taxpayers. Yet the process exposes a disturbing flaw in how Minnesota funds public education: Some districts have the resources to attain 21st century student achievement standards; many have not.
Despite Minnesota’s constitutional obligation to provide a "uniform system of public schools," state funding for schools hasn’t kept pace with inflation. Today the state under-funding of local school districts is impacting the ability of schools to meet state and federal performance standards.
Two thorough independent studies, including one conducted at the request of Gov. Pawlenty, revealed that a $1 billion annual additional investment will educate our children to today’s performance standards. Two billion dollars in annual additional investment is needed to educate our children to tomorrow’s standards.
Education Funding Reform Will Increase Student Achievement
Continuing to rely on local levies isn’t sound policy. It’s not fair to students, and it’s not fair to property taxpayers. Minnesota’s children deserve reasonable class sizes and educational opportunities no matter where they live. Students and schools will benefit from a rational, reliable source of funding and taxpayers will benefit from property tax relief.
