House Passes Education Bill, Highlighting Support for Schools, Teachers, and Students
St. Paul, MN — Last night, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Education Finance bill, delivering a major legislative win for students, families, and educators across the state. Rep. Ron Kresha (R–Little Falls) served as a key negotiator on the bill, securing critical reforms that promote local control, improve literacy, and provide relief from burdensome mandates.
“This bill puts our students and teachers first,” said Rep. Kresha. “We’re giving schools the tools, flexibility, and support they need to succeed, without growing the state agency or imposing more mandates.”
The bill redirects more than $150 million through Basic Supplemental Aid, giving schools greater flexibility to meet their communities’ unique needs. It also reforms the READ Act to align instruction with the science of reading, aiming to boost literacy rates and improve outcomes statewide.
Additional provisions protect educational choice, end funding for legislatively named nonprofits, and ensure stronger accountability by requiring the Department of Education to halt payments to nonprofits that fail to meet reporting requirements.
Importantly, the bill includes no new funding for the Minnesota Department of Education’s agency operations and rejects Governor Walz’s proposal to cut more than $680 million in education funding.
“We are showing our schools that we trust them to make the best decisions for their teachers and students,” added Rep. Kresha. “Instead of applying one-size-fits-all mandates from St. Paul, this bill restores local control because that's what's best for our schools and for educational outcomes overall.”
The bill also sunsets the controversial unemployment insurance (UI) mandate, delivering long-overdue mandate relief to school districts across the state.
This bill was negotiated in a bipartisan manner, including provisions from both sides. Therefore, it was passed off the House floor with bipartisan support. The bill now heads into conference committee and will return to the House for a final vote after being reconciled with the Senate version.