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Some school districts—such as Minneapolis and Saint Paul—get dramatically more funding than other school districts.

Some school districts—such as Minneapolis and Saint Paul—have much higher costs because they serve more disadvantaged students.

The Minneapolis and Saint Paul school districts, and a growing number of districts in inner-ring suburbs, have high concentrations of at-risk students who require additional resources to achieve the same level of proficiency.

Examples include students living in poverty, new immigrants learning English, and students with disabilities and other special needs. These students require more services than other students and are therefore more costly to educate.

All things considered, it is not difficult to see why the Minneapolis and Saint Paul school districts receive more revenue. It is because they need it. If the state is going to take seriously its constitutional mandate to provide an adequate education to all Minnesota children and make a serious effort to close the achievement gap, it must send adequate resources to those school districts with the greatest needs.

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