ST. PAUL, MN – With more than 860,000 students returning to class across the state this week, Lt. Governor Tina Smith today visited Paul Bunyan Elementary School in Bemidji and Lowell Elementary School in Duluth. This year, thanks to investments secured by Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith, Bemidji Public Schools received $208,000 and Duluth Public Schools received $100,000 to expand their preKindergarten programs. Overall, the Governor and Lt. Governor have invested an additional $2 billion in E-12 education since 2011. This new funding has made it possible for 22,500 kids to attend preschool this fall, along with more than 57,400 kids now attending all-day Kindergarten across the state.

 

“Kids walking into school today are finding better classrooms, textbooks, and opportunities than they had just a few years ago,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “I am proud that Governor Dayton has invested $2 billion in new funding for our schoolkids, to increase access to early education, ensure classrooms have the best teachers and materials possible, and promote greater opportunities for Minnesota families.” 

 

During the visits, Lt. Governor Smith reiterated her and Governor Dayton’s continued commitment to expanding access to preKindergarten for all Minnesota four-year-olds, noting that additional investments in the state’s youngest learners are necessary to prevent achievement gaps and increase opportunities for all Minnesota kids.

 

The $2 billion in new education funding invested since Governor Dayton took office in 2011 includes $257 million to help young learners across Minnesota attend early learning programs, along with $1.73 billion in new investments for all K-12 student.

Since taking office, Governor Dayton has pushed for $2 billion in new education investments, including $257 million to help young learners across Minnesota attend early learning programs. This fall, 22,500 kids are attend preschool thanks to these investments.

 

·         MAP: See a map of the 109 school districts that will receive preKindergarten funding in the coming school year, and the 152 additional districts that applied but could not be funded due to limited resources provided by the Legislature.

 

In 2016, Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature invested $25 million in ongoing funds for school-based preK programs. In total, 74 school districts received the funding, serving 3,000 four-year-olds during the 2016-17 school year. These school districts will continue receiving funding for their preK programming for the 2017-18 school year, and beyond.

 

·         CHART: See the 74 Minnesota school districts and charter schools that received ongoing funding for school-based preKindergarten in 2016.

 

This year, Governor Dayton proposed investing an additional $175 million to expand voluntary preK for 17,100 Minnesota kids. Unfortunately, the Legislature agreed to provide only $50 million in new one-time funding, to be used for either voluntary preK or school readiness plus programs over the next two years alone. This summer, 223 Minnesota school districts and charter schools applied for that new state funding, seeking funding for 243 voluntary preK sites and 84 school readiness plus sites that would have served over 12,000 four-year-olds. Limited funds provided by the Legislature allowed for only 59 of those school districts, serving about 3,000 kids, to receive funding – meeting less than 25 percent of the need.

 

·         CHART: See the 59 Minnesota school districts and charter schools receiving new, one-time funding for school-based preKindergarten and School Readiness Plus.

 

·         CHART: See the Minnesota school districts and charter schools that applied for new, one-time preKindergarten and School Readiness Plus funding in 2017, but did not receive funding due to limited resources.

 

Under Governor Dayton’s leadership, Minnesota has also made significant investments in Early Learning Scholarships to close achievement gaps and help more kids reach their full potential in school and life. In fact, more than 29,500 children have received Early Learning Scholarships funded by the Governor and Legislature since the program began in 2013, providing more early learners access to preschool statewide.

 

During the 2017 Legislative Session, Governor Dayton and the Legislature invested an additional $20 million in Early Learning Scholarships, expanding the program to serve another 4,900 kids. Combined with existing Early Learning Scholarships, these new funds will allow a total of 16,400 children to enroll in early learning programs across Minnesota this year.

 

When Governor Dayton took office, Minnesota faced a $6 billion projected budget deficit, and more than $2 billion had been unilaterally "borrowed" from our school districts. Governor Dayton worked hard to repay our schools, and has successfully pushed for an additional $2 billion in new education investments, keeping his promise to increase funding for education every year he is governor – no excuses, no exceptions. Those investments include $1.73 billion to improve educational opportunities for all K-12 students across the state.

 

These investments have included additional resources for the K-12 funding formula, which provides schools with funding based on the number of students they teach, to ensure the basics of a good education are met: good teachers, textbooks, and materials to help kids learn and grow. A historic $134 million investment also made all-day Kindergarten a reality across Minnesota, with more than more than 57,400 Kindergarteners now enrolled across the state. And, this $1.73 billion has included more funding for special education, school counselors and support staff, funding for facilities improvements, and initiatives to boost math and reading proficiency and close opportunity gaps for students of color and indigenous youth.