State Representative David Bly, MN District 25B

5%5/5/’05@5pm. The golden mean? Well almost, on Thursday, May 5th hundreds of supporters gathered in Bridge Square to hear Roger Jenny and the Northfield band play, as well as, several speakers advocate for the position that our Governor and Legislators should agree to a funding increase of 5% for the next two years. This increase would improve the deplorable situation so many of our public schools face of having to cut staff and programs because of inadequate funding. Speakers included group organizer, Julie Pritchard,
Northfield Mayor Lee Lansing,
Parents United’s Mary Cecconi, Northfield School Superintendent Dr. Chris Richardson,

Northfield teacher of the year Earl Weinmann,
and Northfield High School student Frank Flavell. Speakers reminded listeners that the school districts across the state have been neglected and underfunded by the state and federal budget for a decade, forced to raise property taxes through excess levies or cut back on programs, teachers, and administrators. Those who attended were encouraged to send a postcard to State office holders, which stated the following:

I attended the 5% on the 5th Rally in Northfield today and ask that you support an increase to the education funding formula of 5% per year, for two years.
-Because the Minnesota Constitution enumerates only one responsibility for state government; to educate its constituents.
-Because increases in education spending have been off-set by inflation, health care costs, and unfunded federal mandates.
-Because school boards all over this state have made desperate cuts, resulting in increased class sizes and decreased quality.
-Because a well-educated populace is a vital resource to a state’s economy and welfare.
I ask that you support a biennium budget that increases K-12 education by 5% per year.

If you were unable to make the rally please contact the Governor, Rep. Cox and Sen. Neuville to urge them to make education a priority in Minnesota once again. The current house bill, which Rep. Cox (who voted against amendments to improve the allocation of money) supported, does not do enough and takes money from poorer districts to help wealthier ones. As Lori Sturdevant writes in a recent StarTrib article:

“I’m following the Robin-Hood-in-reverse stuff,” said yellow-stickered railroad worker Bernie Hagen, 60, of rural Albert Lea. He’d come to the Capitol for the second time this year to witness passage of a House GOP-designed K-12 bill “that would take from the poor districts and give to the rich,” Hagen explained. “I don’t think that’s right.”

Hagen was referring to the dark side of the House’s $622 million increase in school spending. It doles out the cash in a way that’s relatively kinder to districts with smaller shares of high-cost students (the disabled and economically disadvantaged). That would stabilize schools where all of the children are above average, while allowing teacher layoffs and/or property tax increases to keep on comin’ elsewhere.