Editorial: Question should be how much is needed?

Published 12:00 am Monday, June 27, 2005

In December, it was clear the Minnesota Legislature’s biggest challenge this year would be providing adequate funding for public education. Four years of frozen funding coupled with increased expenses and a looming state budget shortfall only complicated matters.

Six months later, the good news is the Legislature did its best to help higher education students and institutions. It passed and Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a $2.8 billion bill that provides major increases in funding for the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Despite this overall spending increase of about 9 percent, college tuition statewide still could increase up to 8 percent each of the next two years.

Yes, that’s the good news. The bad news is the Legislature has yet to set a budget plan for birth-to-12th-grade education, which, of course, is largely why we are still in a special session.

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Fortunately for education, the question is how much more will the state contribute. The governor, House and Senate all have different plans, which would raise funding by about 4 percent to 5 percent each of the next two years.

The challenge is determining how to pay for that. In lieu of starting another series of editorials, let us just say that compromise must be the key. The governor’s cigarette fee is a start. Now what can House and Senate leaders offer to the mix?

Once they have that answer, and knowing the debate about how much the state should spend on education will remain divisive, we reiterate our support for the state to undertake a study that determines about what it actually costs to educate students. Such a bipartisan effort would be of immense help in future legislative sessions.

St. Cloud Times