Question: How did education fare in the Minnesota Legislature’s budget?

Answer: Our local districts will be impacted by several decisions made at the state level. Highlights from the legislative session include:

• The Legislature set aside $90 million to help schools with high special education costs address funding concerns. Many Minnesota districts, including Albert Lea, pull money from their general funds to cover the costs of special education. The federal government has pledged to fund up to 40% of these costs but has consistently funded below that. In 2019, they funded 7.3 percent of special education costs for districts.

Superintendent Mike Funk said the district is pleased to see this additional funding.

“This should prevent our district’s general education cost for educating our special education students from increasing,” Funk said. “It is unfortunate that the state Legislature has to step in to fund something that is the responsibility of the federal government.”

• The School Building Bond Agricultural Credit increased the credit given to eligible farmland from a 40% tax credit to a 50% tax credit, reducing the amount landowners would pay.

“That should help out-state school districts pass bond issues,” Funk said.

This will impact those who qualify for the credit with taxes from the 2018 referendum, Funk confirmed.

• The Legislature put some one-time dollars into safe schools funding for districts to upgrade buildings, District 27A Representative Peggy Bennett said. Funk said the funding will be divided across every district in the state as a general allocation.

• Voluntary pre-kindergarten funding received funding for two more years.

“We have that in our district, so people will be happy about that,” Bennett said.

• The Legislature made plans to fund education with a two percent increase each year for two years.

“We anticipate this funding will allow us to maintain programming at our current levels,” Funk said. “Anything less than what was settled upon would have provided financial challenges for the district.”

 

 

Question: Do bikes follow the same traffic laws as vehicles?

Answer: Yes, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, bicyclists must obey all traffic control signs and signals. Bicyclists should ride in the same direction as traffic when on roadways and should ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of roadway.

 

 

“You Ask, We Answer” is a weekly column dedicated to answering questions submitted by you, the readers. We will answer two to three questions per week. Have a question you want to submit? Email Managing Editor Sarah Stultz at sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com or send her a letter at 808 W. Front St. Label as “Questions of the week.”