St. Paul, MN - State Rep. Terry Morrow joined fellow members of the bipartisan Education Finance Reform Task Force today to introduce the “New Minnesota Miracle,” an comprehensive plan to encourage innovation and results and to provide fair funding for all of Minnesota’s K-12 students.

Children’s Champion Award Recipients

Heeding the call of education supporters and parents throughout Minnesota, the reform package addresses the critical need to improve how Minnesota funds public education. The simpler method increases the state’s share of school funding, thus reducing schools’ reliance upon local property taxes.

“A child’s education should not depend upon whether a local community can pass a referendum,” said Morrow. “A child’s education should not depend upon where she lives. The responsible answer is for the state to fulfill its constitutional obligation for all children.”

The “New Minnesota Miracle” represents months of work by the Education Finance Reform Task Force. Representative Morrow attended a series of meetings and reviewed many documents and proposals in this process.

Under the “New Minnesota Miracle,” the state share of school funding will increase by $1.7 billion, while property taxes statewide should go down by $600 million. The plan counts every child as 1.0 to calculate a school’s general education funding. Responding to Representative Morrow’s call, the plan supports voluntary all-day kindergarten throughout the state. Special education, English language learning, rural transportation, and other issues are also answered.

“We created a plan that supports every child’s success after high school,” said Morrow. “The state of Minnesota is constitutionally and morally expected to adequately fund public education. At the same time, local districts are now provided the funds needed to engage in the innovative, entrepreneurial practices that will best serve their students.”

Morrow, a long-time advocate of early-childhood education plans, observed that the “New Minnesota Miracle” plan grants schools the flexibility to fund early childhood programs.

“We know that early investment in a child’s education pays tremendous benefits to the student and the community,” said Morrow. “Our new plan views early childhood as one part of a comprehensive approach to funding education.”

A broad coalition of rural, suburban, metro education advocates and parents from across the state expressed support for the plan. According to Morrow, the New Minnesota Miracle will be a priority for the next legislative session.

Press release, April 7