Impact of new mandates a major concern for school districts and staff, committee hears

One school board chair said just four of the new mandates will "add $1.1 million to our costs" per year.

Farmington Area School Board Chair Kyle Christensen testifies before the Senate Education Policy Committee Jan. 22. (Senate Media Services/YouTube)

The Senate Education Policy Committee recently heard from local school officials about the impacts new mandates are having on schools. Led by Sen. Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, the hearing featured testimony from superintendents, school board members, and principals representing districts across the state.

In 2023, Democrats in control of state government established over 60 new mandates that public schools must adhere to, Coleman said in a press release. Since then, school districts across the state have reported budget shortfalls as the costs associated with the new mandates have set in.

During the January committee hearing, mandates that dominated the discussion included: Paid Family and Medical Leave, part-time employees being included under unemployment insurance, Earned Safe and Sick Time, and the READ Act.

“Just those four new mandates add $1.1 million to our costs,” said Kyle Christensen, the chair of the Farmington Area School Board. “Add in inflation, higher wages, health benefits cost, and you quickly get that we’re not better off. We’re actually sliding behind despite historic investments in public education.”

“Gov. Walz said he’d fully fund public education. He even went on a tour that summer talking about historic investments in spending in our schools, but he forgot to mention all the new costs that he had also added through legislation that same year,” Christensen added.

Passed into law in 2023, the READ Act’s objective is for all students to read at grade level or higher every year. To achieve this, the READ ACT sets new staff development and training mandates as well as regular screening of student reading proficiency.

Testifiers at the January committee meeting were supportive of the READ Act’s goals, but said that school districts have not received enough financial help to implement the mandates that came with the new law.

“While many of us support the initiative and intention of the READ Act, the execution, implementation, and training of staff is challenging and expensive,” said Principal Angela Charboneau-Folch of the Integrated Arts Academy in Eastern Carver County Schools.

In addition to testimony regarding the financial strain created by the new mandates, testifiers asked the senators on the committee to amend a recently passed state law which prohibits school districts from suspending K-3 students.

“This policy stripped us of the ability to make the best decisions for safety and the well-being of our students and staff,” said Principal Lisa Carlson, the president of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association.

What most of the testifiers wanted was more local control and flexibility in how districts and schools implement the state’s requirements.

After hearing testimony from the school districts, the committee unanimously passed a bill authored by Sen. Erin Maye Quade, DFL-Apple Valley, that would grant districts additional flexibility on teacher development related to the READ Act.

According to a statement from Coleman, Maye Quade’s bill was the first bill to make it out of committee in the 2025 legislative session.

“I appreciate all the school representatives taking time out of their day to speak to our committee,” said Sen. Coleman. “The quick, bipartisan action to modify the READ Act demonstrates our commitment to addressing school representatives’ concerns and reducing the impacts of costly mandates on school districts throughout the state. One thing is clear: one-size-fits-all mandates do not serve our schools well, and it is incumbent upon us to ensure they have the local control needed to best serve their specific students’ and teachers’ needs.”

 

Hayley Feland

Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.