By Rich Larson
Two former Northfield Public Schools superintendents are urging voters to support a proposed constitutional amendment that would increase the money Minnesota schools receive from the state’s Permanent School Fund.
Dr. Matt Hillmann, now executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, and Dr. Chris Richardson, who led the district for 12 years before Hillmann, discussed the measure Monday on KYMN Radio.
Richardson said the fund dates to 1858, when the framers of the state constitution set it aside to support public schools. Money from logging, mining and the rental or sale of public lands goes into the fund, which Hillmann said is now worth about $2.3 billion.
The amendment would raise the annual distribution to schools from about 2.5% of the fund to about 4.5%, or roughly $33 per student. Both traditional public school and charter school students would be included.
Hillmann said the change would modernize the fund so it operates more like a college endowment. He estimated Northfield Public Schools would receive a little more than $120,000 a year, Faribault about $100,000 and Cannon Falls about $35,000. Northfield’s Arcadia and
Prairie Creek charter schools would also benefit.
Hillmann said the amendment would not raise income, property or sales taxes. He said guardrails, including a three-year rolling average, would protect the fund’s principal for future generations.
He said $120,000 is slightly less than the roughly $150,000 total cost of one full-time Northfield teacher, and that districts can use the money however they choose. He cited unexpected costs such as rising diesel prices for school buses as one example.
“Every little bit that we can do to increase funding to schools without raising taxes is a win,” Hillmann said.
Richardson stressed that a blank ballot counts against the measure. A constitutional amendment needs “yes” votes from a majority of all ballots cast in the election.
“Don’t leave it blank,” Richardson said.
Hillmann said the Minnesota House voted unanimously to place the amendment on the ballot, and the Senate approved it 43-24.
He also said, for Northfielders, the question will likely appear on the front of the ballot, in the middle column.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
Rich Larson is the owner and General manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
