Bad news from the Senate

The Star Tribune is reporting today on the Senate budget proposal, which would call for $1 billion in cuts to education over the next two years:

Senate leaders acknowledged that the $973 million in proposed K-12 education cuts over a two-year period would be difficult but said education represented too large a share of the overall state budget to be exempted.

A cut of this magnitude would be absolutely devastating to a district like North Branch, which has made over $10 million in budget adjustments since 2003, and is facing another $1.5 million in reductions to balance next year's budget.

The House will introduce its budget proposal next week, and I hope it looks better for education than the Senate's. In the meantime, please continue to contact your legislator and let them know how important education funding is; not only for the present, but for our future.

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