Minnesota voters to decide on constitutional amendment that would increase school funding
When Minnesota voters go to the polls, in addition to local and statewide races, they will be asked to vote on a constitutional amendment to provide millions more dollars for Minnesota K-12 schools.
The proposed constitutional amendment is on the first page of the Nov. 3 ballot, just to the right of the candidates for U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.
The amendment asks, "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund?"
Minnesota's permanent school fund was set up in 1858 when the federal government gave the new state of Minnesota land to fund education. That fund is now worth at least $2.4 billion.
Currently, Minnesota schools get a total of $58 million from the fund. The constitutional amendment would raise the contribution to schools by $33 per pupil for each school. That would take the fund's current contribution of $68 per pupil to $101 per pupil.
DFL Sen. Mary Kunesh is one of the leaders of a bipartisan coalition urging voters to vote yes.
"This has zero effect on your property taxes, on any taxes whatsoever. This is a fund that was established through mining revenues, timber sales licensing, specifically for public school students," Kunesh said.
The Minnesota State Board of Investment manages the funds generated from school trust lands' mining and timber leases. Since 2017, the fund has nearly doubled from $1.3 billion to $2.4 billion.
Kunesh and the group of bipartisan legislators and educators announced their support for the increase at a press conference earlier this month. They say the increase will not deplete the fund.
"The state board of investment was in on this. The people that have that expertise, they felt that we had the safeguards and that that fund is growing well enough where we can take a little bit extra," Kunesh said.
Supporters have a website where you can click on and find out how the increase would impact your school district.
Like with all Minnesota constitutional amendments, if you don't vote on the amendment, it will be counted as a "no" vote.
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