Hundreds of Minnesota school districts are becoming anxious about their annual budget process that is somewhat on hold, partly because of the stalemate in the Minnesota House.
District 877 Superintendent Dr. Scott Thielman told KRWC Radio News on Tuesday’s “Spotlight” that while it may be early in the legislative session, school districts across the state have important budgetary decisions to make, many of which have are based on the level of state funds that will be received. Thielman says testimony by MN educational leaders may need to be re-visited by the full House once they assemble…
“It’s very frustrating, and it just keeps education and all the other entities within the state’s budget up in flux because we don’t really know what’s going to happen. We’ve seen in the past when we don’t know what’s going to happen, there’s no fast-forward that’s obvious, a lot of times the legislature ends up in special session.”
(Dist. 877 Supt. Dr. Scott Thielman)
He says that’s a problem for school districts trying to finalize their own budgets, and he says that people’s livelihoods and to a degree, students’ education rides in the balance…
“It is financially challenging because the testimony that was heard in the Senate, and also in the House that was nullified was regarding the financial challenges regarding new mandates that were not fully funded, and will cause school districts to make budget reductions.”
Superintendent Thielman says school districts are charged with creating a budget by June 30th, including staffing decisions for the coming school year.
