DFL Budget Prioritizes Educational Excellence

This year, the DFL-led Legislature worked with Governor Mark Dayton to pass a new budget that pays for long-overdue investments in our most precious resource: our children.

As the proud father of a baby boy born earlier this month, my wife and I feel beyond fortunate that our son will grow up in a state committed to providing its students with the kind of high-quality education that allows every child to reach his or her full potential.

After a decade of cuts to education resulting in overcrowded classrooms and overburdened teachers, DFL’ers hit the campaign trail in 2012 with a promise to pay back hundreds of millions of dollars irresponsibly borrowed from our schools and renew our commitment to educational excellence in order to lay the foundation for future economic growth and shared prosperity.

Our budget makes good on that promise.

It includes a mandate for an accelerated payback of the money that previous legislatures borrowed from our schools. Thanks to this provision, Minnesota schools will soon receive an estimated $463 million, leaving roughly $400 million of the remaining shift to be paid back before the end of 2014.

The DFL plan is in stark contrast to the budget the GOP-led Legislature passed in 2011, which borrowed $2.4 billion from schools while leaving an additional deficit of more than $600 million for the current Legislature to address. Instead of adding to the “IOU,” the DFL-led Legislature passed a budget that resolves the deficit without borrowing and pays back our schools.

The new investments we made in Minnesota students include:

More funding for every school: The budget invests an additional $234 million in the school funding formula, providing schools with a funding increase in each of the next two years.

All-day kindergarten for every child: The budget invests $134 million to help school districts provide optional all-day kindergarten to every student, free of charge. Currently, only 54 percent of Minnesota’s kindergarten students have access to free all-day kindergarten, and thousands of families have to pay out of pocket.

Early learning scholarships for 8,000 kids: The budget invests $40 million in scholarships that will help thousands more children attend high-quality child care and preschool to ensure they are prepared for kindergarten and beyond. Families will be eligible for up to $5,000 in scholarships.

Minnesotans understand that the key to a strong economy is providing our children with a high-quality education. We’re well known as a state that boasts a highly educated work force, and it’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to attract and retain major employers that provide good jobs for our residents.

The DFL budget enhances our proud tradition of educational excellence and extends it into the future. It’s the reason why more and more Minnesotans are saying 2013 will go down in history as the “Education Session.”

I was proud to cast my vote in support of a budget that makes historic investments in education, but I’m even prouder knowing that my son will grow up in a state that provides the tools needed to help every child reach his or her full potential.

Jason Isaacson (DFL—Shoreview) represents District 42B in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He is currently serving his first term.