MINNESOTANS OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE USE OF STATE REVENUE TO HELP FUND SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

BUT VOTERS WERE LESS LIKELY TO PASS LOCAL SCHOOL REFERENDUMS STATEWIDE... JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THAT IMPACT IS SCOTT CROONQUIST, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS - AND MATT HILLMANN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS.

CONTRARY THINGS.

WE'RE FIVING MONEY IN ONE PLACE SO WE'RE NOT GIVING THEM IN THE LOCAL REFERENDUMS.

>> IT WAS A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT THIS YEAR FOR REFERENDUM REFERENDUMS.

THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE WAS HUGE IN THE CAMPAIGNS.

WE HAD TWO QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT, ONE OF THEM SAID YOU CAN GET MORE MONEY FOR YOUR SCHOOLS WITHOUT RAISING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES.

THE OTHER SAID YOU CAN GET MORE MONEY FOR YOUR SCHOOLS BUT IT WILL REYES, PROPERTY TAXES AND I THINK THAT TOLD THE STORY OF THE OUTCOME.

>> WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CLAIMS OF RECORD FUNDING IN THE LAST BIENNIUM WHEN PROGRESSIVES WERE IN CHARGE.

WHAT HAPPENED TODAY ALL THAT DOUGH.

>> IT'S BEEN USED ODAY DO GOOD THINGS FOR KIDS.

THE AMOUNT THAT WE GET ER STUDENT HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH INFLATION.

FOR THE FORMULA ODAY TO HAVE THE SAME BUYING POWER AS 30 YEARS AGO YOU NEED TO INCREASE IT BY ABOUT 19% OR $1400 PER STUDENT.

YOU ADD ON ALL OF THE INFLATIONARY THINGS WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH AND SCHOOLS ARE DEALING WITH THAT, TOO.

DIESEL FALL IS A BIG ISSUE FOR A LOT OF SCHOOLS.

THE KIND OF INTERVENTIONS AND THE SUPPORTS THAT STUDENTS NEED TODAY.

SO, 80% OF EVERY BUDGET IS DOING GOOD THINGS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF, THEY COST MONEY.

>> HOW MUCH DOES THIS NEW MONEY HELP?

HOW QUICKLY DOES IT GET IN FROM THIS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT?

>> IT WILL START NEXT YEAR THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL RECEIVE IT'S VERY WELCOME.

WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE TO THE VOTERS FOR APPROVING IT BUT IT'S A MODEL LEVEL OF FUNNING AND IT WON'T SOLVE ANY -- >> IT'S A DOUBLING, IT'S FROM ABOUT 2% TO 4%.

>> YEAH, IF YOU LOOK AT NORTH FIELD JUST UNDER 4,000 STUDENTS, THAT'S $24,000 NEW DOLLARS.

YOU GO UP TO WARROAD, 30,000.

IT'S WELCOME BUT MODEST.

IF ANY SUPERINTENDENT HAD A PERSON FROM THE COMMUNITY COME IN AND SAY I'M GOING TO WRITE YOU A CHECK EVERY YEAR FOR $120,000, WE'LL BE SO GRATEFUL.

OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE REALLY GOOD AT MANAGING THEIR FINANCES AND REALLY PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT STUDENTS NEED.

>> YOU TWO AND TEN OTHERS IN @ UNDERSTAND UNDERSTAND THE K-12 FUNDING FORMULA, ISN'T IT TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT REFORM CHANGES, I DON'T KNOW HOW RADICAL YOU COULD BE IN ONE SESSION, BUT -- >> AND IS KLOBUCHAR THE PERSON TO DO IT?

>> I TAUGHT AND ASKED STUDENTS TO CREATE A NEW FORMULA AND IT'S HARD.

THE FORMULA HAS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE REAL GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN THE STATE.

SOME NEED MORE TRANSPORTATION MONEY, SOME HAVE HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS OF POVERTY.

THEY NEED TO HELP THE STUDENTS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT REFORMING THE FORMULA AND INCREASING THE PER PUPIL AMOUNT.

>> AND FUNDING THE FORMULA THAT WE HAVE.

WE'RE NOT FULLY FUNDING THE FORMULAS WE HAVE.

SPECIAL EDUCATION IS A HUGE EXAMPLE THERE, RIGHT?

IT'S UNDER FUNDED.

>> BUT THERE IS A BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS FOR SPECIAL ED, IS THAT A WORTHY PROJECT?

>> IT IS A WORTHY PROJECT AND THEY DID A LOT OF GOOD WORK, BUT THE LEGISLATURE PASSED A $250 MILLION CUT IN THE 2025 SESSION, AND THEN THEY ASKED THIS COMMISSION TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE CUT OR WHERE IT SHOULD COME FROM, RIGHT?

>> AND NO NEW TAXES, TOO, YOU HEARD THE GOVERNOR EECT, IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGING SESSION.

>> ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES IS ASKING STATE POLICYMAKERS TO REPEAL THAT