Many Minnesota school districts say they have been walking a financial tightrope, but leaders appear to be encouraged by the new education funding plan for K-12 schools.

With a record surplus in hand, the Legislature has sent the governor a package boosting per-pupil funding by 4%, and 2% over the next two budget years, and then, ties it to inflation in subsequent years.

Matt Hillmann, superintendent of Northfield Public Schools, noted they will not be able to restore recent budget cuts, but said the extra aid will provide much-needed stability moving forward.

"We use our funds to do good things for kids," Hillmann pointed out. "We can now see a little bit further around that corner, so that we can be more intentional in our long-range planning."

He added it is helpful for districts dealing with enrollment declines due to lower birthrates and other factors.

Hillman acknowledged there are some things to be cautious about, including certain mandates he feels might not have enough funding to be carried out. Republicans, who are in the minority this session, have criticized some aspects of the plan, including expanding unemployment insurance to hourly school workers.

Meanwhile, there is a new dedicated funding stream for adding support staff who can help with a student's mental, behavioral, and physical health needs.

Christy McCoy, a licensed clinical school social worker for St. Paul Public Schools, said it's significant because districts have more wiggle room to make these hires.

"Prior to that, any funding for our positions was coming out of the general fund," McCoy explained. "Schools would have to choose, 'Do I get a teacher, do I get a school social worker?'"

As legislative chair for the Minnesota School Social Workers Association, McCoy emphasized they fought for some of the provisions in the past couple of decades, and including them in the final bill is crucial as her colleagues address lingering behavioral concerns exacerbated by the pandemic.

"This year, we are seeing significant delays in our students' social functioning, in their ability to regulate their emotions," McCoy observed.

Nearly 100 school board elections are coming up in Minnesota this fall, with some gaining attention because of the candidates who are running. There's concern the push around the United States to infuse school boards with "culture war" issues is becoming a factor regionally.

On Thursday, labor and advocacy groups gathered to speak out about certain board races, mainly in the Twin Cities suburbs, and how some candidates have controversial platforms, such as limiting curriculum about race.

Denise Specht, president of the teacher's union Education Minnesota, said the movement isn't just being observed in states such as Florida. She said book-ban attempts are popping up here, as well.

"In the Bloomington public schools, there are more than 50 challenges to 30 titles in the school libraries already this year," she said. "Most of them are books with LGBTQ+ characters, which fits the national trend."

A school board candidate in Roseville faces scrutiny for writing a book that denies the Holocaust ever happened. The candidate, Vaughn Klingenberg, did not respond to a request for comment. Parent groups that support candidates with divisive views argue that students are being overly exposed to issues such as gender identity and diversity, and that the focus should be on achievement.

Beth Gendler, executive director of Jewish Community Action, pushed back against state-level affiliations such as the Minnesota Parents Alliance, that say voters need to tune out the concerns being raised.

"We are portrayed as threats to society by merely existing, or daring to ask that our stories be included when students are taught about history," she said. "We are not 'noise;' we are not a distraction."

Unlike conservative led-states, Minnesota's Democratic majorities make it unlikely that restrictions on curriculum or gender accommodations will be adopted in the near future. But the coalition calling attention to these candidates has said if elected, it could push to limit local enforcement of anti-bullying laws.


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The so-called conservative "hostile takeover" of a small, progressive liberal arts college in Florida is seeing some resistance from former students and faculty who've developed and launched Alt New College. The goal is preserving the traditional values it built as an online institution for academic freedom.

Claiming one-third of faculty have left or been forced out, Alt New College is bringing back some of those instructors to teach online, free from political interference.

"We're most particularly concerned with subjects that concern the history of Black Americans, the intersection of science and politics, the study of gender which includes women and other identities," said Mary Ruiz, a New College alum who has served on its board since 2019. "We feel it's a worthy subject to study since it includes more than half of humanity."

Ruiz was board chair at New College of Florida when she resigned and is now an organizer of Alt New College. Some free courses, tutorials and lectures are supported by donors.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been touting the success of New College of Florida and is critical of a recent civil rights probe from the U.S. Department of Education into whether the school excluded or discriminated against qualified students with disabilities, kept them out of certain programs or denied them financial aid.

Ruiz said the concept is powerful and has attracted global partners such as Bard College of New York, giving students the chance to earn credit for the online courses.

"The Open Society University Network is making its entire curriculum available online," she said. "In addition to the offering of Alt New College, Bard is offering credit."

The concept for the alternative college isn't new. Ruiz said the grassroots effort was inspired by Smolny Beyond Borders, which transitioned to an online platform in response to an authoritarian incident in Russia, and Black Mountain College, renowned for its innovative approaches in preserving its institutional history.

A listing of the free courses can be found at altnewcollege.org.


Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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This weekend marks the kickoff of National Bullying Prevention Month. Those raising awareness hope schools in South Dakota and elsewhere work toward establishing a more inclusive environment, and that parents take action when needed.

According to the Midwest-based PACER organization, one in five students reports being bullied - and being targeted can directly affect their ability to learn.

Julie Hertzog is the director of PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, and said schools are being more proactive with anti-bullying messaging.

But she added that they can take it a step further by fostering more unity within their buildings.

"It can be as simple as, if you're doing an activity within a group, asking somebody else if they would like to join you or participate," said Hertzog. "So, any way that you can increase connection between each other makes communities healthier for everyone."

Hertzog noted that social media remains a concern in trying to protect kids from hurtful actions by their peers.

Whether a student is bullied online or at school, she said parents should let the child talk openly about it and how they feel about responding. She also advised them to research the school's harassment policy for guidance on how to proceed.

Hertzog said over time, their work has helped dispel myths that words can't hurt people and that experiencing bullying is a part of growing up. She said a lot of kids know this behavior is not OK.

But she stressed that a lot of students are still likely to feel isolated, and recognizing them in a positive way is important.

"We talk a lot about the tenets of kindness," said Hertzog, "accepting each other for our differences."

LGBTQ advocates have argued those sentiments are especially important in conservative-led states such as South Dakota, which have passed various laws deemed hostile towards transgender students.

According to the Trevor Project, 52% of LGBTQ youths enrolled in middle or high school report being bullied either in person or electronically.




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