How Minnesota’s school funding amendment could send more money to schools

(FOX 9) - Minnesota voters will weigh a constitutional amendment on Nov. 3 that supporters say would boost school funding without affecting property taxes.

Minnesota ballot question on school funding

What we know:

On Nov. 3, Minnesota voters will choose the state's next governor and U.S. senator.

They will also decide whether to amend the Minnesota Constitution to increase funding going to all school districts from the Permanent School Fund.

Right now, districts receive 2.5% of the fund's value. If the measure passes, that would rise to 4.5%, or from $68 to $101 per pupil.

Advocates say the change would send an extra $28 million to schools across the state.

The backstory:

The Permanent School Trust Fund has been around since Minnesota became a state.

Voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to modernize it to give more money to schools.

If the amendment passes with a simple majority, the changes would take effect July 1, 2027.

The fund was established in 1858 to provide long-term support for public education through money collected in rents and royalties on millions of acres of public land.

Over the last 15 years, the fund has grown from $675 million to more than $2.3 billion, but the formula used to distribute the money has not changed with the times.

"One of the ways I like to think about this is that the money has already been collected to the Trust. This is just a modern way of distributing it," said Paul Peltier of the Permanent School Trust Fund Constitutional Amendment Committee.

Local perspective:

"We know that districts are really pinched with inflationary costs, whether it's labor, diesel costs, construction costs, um, that we know that any dollar amount is going to help our public schools," said Kirk Schneidawind, executive director of the Minnesota School Boards Association.

"I think it's a no-brainer and I think it's about time," said Peltier.

Supporters are warning voters not to skip the ballot question. They say a blank vote would be a no vote for both current and future generations.

Advocates say the added money would come at a time when many schools are facing budget shortfalls. Schneidawind said districts are also dealing with inflationary pressure tied to labor, diesel and construction costs.

Supporters say even a relatively small increase could help protect programs and staffing in public schools.

The Source: Reporting from FOX 9's Maury Glover.