STATE OF MINNESOTA FOURTEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION
K-12 EDUCATION FINANCE COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Representative Mindy Greiling, Chair of the Committee, called the meeting to order at 2:17PM on February 8, 2007, in Room 10 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
GREILING, Mindy (Chair)
MORROW, Terry (Vice-Chair)
BENSON, John
BROWN, Robin
DAVNIE, Jim
DEMMER, Randy
DETTMER, Bob
DITTRICH, Denise
DOMINGUEZ, Willie
ERICKSON, Sondra
FAUST, Tim
GAROFALO, Pat
HEIDGERKEN, Bud
HILSTROM, Deb
MARIANI, Carlos
MARQUART, Paul
McFARLANE, Carol
MORGAN, Will
OLSON, Mark
SWAILS, Marsha
Members excused:
ANZELC, Tom
MURPHY, Mary
A quorum was present.
Representative Benson moved the minutes of February 7, 2007 be adopted.
THE MOTION PREVAILED AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
Dr. Tom Melcher, Director of Program Finance at the Minnesota Department of Education, provided an informational overview of the 2005 Cross-Subsidy Report on special education.
Greg Crowe, House Fiscal Analyst and Tim Strom, House Legislative Analyst, provided an informational overview of special education funding.
HF649 (Morgan) A bill for an act relating to education finance; increasing funding for the special education excess cost program.
Representative Morgan moved HF649 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Finance Bill.
Representative Morgan, Benjamin Kanninen, Superintendent of ISD#191, and Tim Strom, House Legislative Analyst, testified.
Public testimony on HF649 was provided by the following individuals:
Diane Hedberg, Special Education Resource Teacher, Minneapolis (pro)
Jan Alswager, Director of Governmental Relations, Education Minnesota
HF786 (Hilstrom) A bill for an act relating to education finance; increasing funding for special education programs; establishing an intensive intervention funding source.
Representative Hilstrom moved HF786 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Finance Bill.
Representative Hilstrom, Keith E. Lester, Superintendent, Brooklyn Center Schools, ISD #286,
Bruce Seal, Special Education Director for Brooklyn Center Schools, Denny Ulmer, Special Education Director, Bemidji Public Schools testified.
HF778 (Haws) A bill for an act relating to education finance; creating a new component of special education funding for districts with extraordinary special education service needs.
Representative Greiling moved HF778 be laid over for possible inclusion in the Omnibus K-12 Finance Bill.
Representative Haws, Dr. Bruce Watkins, Superintendent, ISD#742 and Kevin Januszewski, Executive Director of Business Services, St. Cloud Schools, testified.
Further discussion and questions followed.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:45PM.
Rep. Mindy Greiling, CHAIR
Elizabeth Mandelman
Committee Legislative Assistant