Brown, Kiffmeyer Target Urban Schools; No Broad Help for Rest

Senator Dave Brown (R-Becker) last month introduced legislation (SF 422) to effectively eliminate integration aid--which gives higher per pupil funding levels to school districts with high levels of poverty--from Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth public schools. Representative Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake) is carrying a companion bill in House.

This bill doesn’t redirect the money to other districts that may have other, equally pressing funding needs, including many within SD16 with stressed finances. Apparently his policy is to tear down others instead of raising all up. In a separate bill (SF 475) , Brown would add a new per pupil ‘growth revenue’ for districts that use more than 50% of their levy on debt service and are using more than 50% of net tax capacity. This narrow funding stream would help districts that overbuilt in good times instead of broadly supporting districts throughout Greater Minnesota.