| | | Ginny Wheeler (Burnsville-Eagan-Savage)
To: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us ; rep.margaret.kelliher@house.mn ; rep.tony.sertich@house.mn ; rep.marty.seifert@house.mn ; sen.larry.pogemiller@senate.mn ; sen.david.senjem@senate.mn
Subject: School Finance
Dear Governor, Senators, and Representatives,
I am currently working with the citizens of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district to get the word out to vote YES on the upcoming referendum. In our District, the vast majority of voters, like me, do not have school-age children. When I call parents, I hear the same thing over and over again. They love their schools, teachers, and neighborhoods and question why funding is left up to a popular vote.
The last time I looked, our State Constitution mandates that we provide the same level of education for ALL students, not just those lucky enough to live in communities where voters are willing to provide 10 to 25% of the school budget through property tax levies. It also mandates providing special services for some students. It mandates more and more testing. Yet, fully funding these mandates seems to be optional. That needs to change.
We need to fully fund education for ALL students, and that means finding the resources through income, sales, and corporate taxes—not voter-approved property taxes. Then, our administration, our school boards, our teachers, and our volunteers can spend their time and energy going about the business of helping students learn.
Ginny Wheeler
Burnsville, MN
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