ST. PAUL, MN – Lt. Governor Tina Smith today hosted a roundtable discussion at Winona State University to highlight the Education Village project, which would renovate existing space into modern, integrated classrooms for students pursuing careers in teaching. Lt. Governor Smith was joined by MMB Commissioner Myron Frans, Winona State School of Education Dean Tarrell Portman, area legislators, and community and business leaders. Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith have proposed a $16.9 million investment in their Jobs Bill to help complete the Education Village project.

 

“The Winona State Education Village project will help train the next generation of Minnesota teachers,” said Lt. Governor Tina Smith. “This project is good for our schools, and essential for a well-trained workforce and a thriving economy. I thank Representative Pelowski and Senator Miller for their continued advocacy for this critically important investment.”

 

“The Education Village continues the 150-plus year heritage of preparing excellent teachers for Minnesota,” said State Representative Gene Pelowski.

 

“I want to thank Lt. Governor Smith for visiting Winona State University to discuss the Education Village project,” said State Senator Jeremy Miller. “I’m very excited about the Education Village project at Winona State University, because it will help transform the way we train future teachers, as well as provide professional development courses to current educators, ultimately benefitting kids in our classrooms.”

 

Winona State University has more than 2,000 education majors, comprising 20 percent of the student body. Upon completion, the Education Village would help Winona State better prepare these students for careers in teaching at a time when the need for new educators is growing. Across Minnesota, more than 70 percent of school districts report shortages of new teachers able to teach science, math, technology, foreign languages, special education, and English as a second language.

 

In addition to the Winona State Education Village project, the Governor and Lt. Governor have included several other Winona area projects in their Jobs Bill:

 

·         Winona Port Improvements – The Port of Winona is critical to the economic vitality of southeast Minnesota – servicing more than 700 barges every year. Overall, Mississippi River barge traffic accounts for more than 60 percent of Minnesota agricultural exports. Our river ports also handle other important commodities, including minerals, salt, cement, steel products, and molasses. To improve the efficiency of operations at the Port of Winona, Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith have proposed $280,000 investment in their Jobs Bill to make improvements to the truck fleeting area and Riverview Drive, reclaim a staging area, and install a new loading cell.

 

·         Winona State University Basic Infrastructure – Governor Dayton and Lt. Governor Smith’s Jobs Bill would invest $2.3 million into basic infrastructure improvements at Winona State University to help ensure the campus remains in good condition. Winona State would use these resources to replace the roof of Phelps Hall and make utility tunnel upgrades.

 

Governor Dayton’s Jobs Bill would invest $1.4 billion in infrastructure projects statewide, creating an estimated 39,900 Minnesota jobs. This new Jobs Bill would help address many of the state’s critical infrastructure needs, including essential water infrastructure, while strengthening Minnesota’s economy and putting thousands of people to work.

 

The Jobs Bill includes critical infrastructure projects distributed across Minnesota. It balances the needs of the state, with 35 percent of projects in Greater Minnesota, 35 percent in the Twin Cities Area, and 30 percent having impacts statewide. And Governor Dayton’s Jobs Bill is designed to make state resources go further, by leveraging more than $600 million in private, local, and federal dollars.

 

A complete list of the Governor Dayton’s proposed Jobs Bill projects is available online.