[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6376209,"mediaKeyId","2140497-f0568f1ad90dffd9be41423e56fe40f9","parentId",2140497,"title","Principals say rapid PSEO growth strains high schools financially and erodes local course offerings; propose caps and shared solutions","audioSeconds",849,"startMs",4030000,"endMs",4879000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140497-f0568f1ad90dffd9be41423e56fe40f9&start=4030&end=4879","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140497-f0568f1ad90dffd9be41423e56fe40f9/thumbnail_4030000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6376209/Minnesota/Principals-say-rapid-PSEO-growth-strains-high-schools-financially-and-erodes-local-course-offerings-propose-caps-and-shared-solutions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376209-9d19373cada3b39f6c44edbbb3ae4df2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732682&Signature=gJYRBCW8y4Q474j4PrqnDhEwV-6Y0UwYLXWXI2S9B3d-qDllSI~bFvpIlT113vfx3bQlg4H7K5r9a2LhxamXL-7I10-r34wiyH60-S6aSZ4fkOvzKBxUwkBVdsyV5s-UBp3HiwjL7jZPu6pKVQ6glS1tgluHp01tZhHal265xylVBM4N024qhCeT3Mya-o37DdFcSE8LSXCNM9O8fmgAuEgGtN07RccQZLaHBth~DK90oMqiUndx4kx5pndbjftI30pzSaa~8eT5ten9yKhsoDxUrpwcG8T3MgdAPpjxyv3s6XWHOF~qUDllTlqC7pkOPRweX875TUmmFCpkIqnJJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","MNHouseInfo","date","2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","article","Elementary and secondary principals from Greater Minnesota told the House Education Policy Committee on Jan. 22, 2025, that a surge in Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) — particularly online courses — is creating financial pressure and reducing local advanced-course offerings.

Aaron Nelson, principal of Pequot Lake Schools, said PSEO enrollment across his district cluster rose from 182 students in fall 2022 to 232 in fall 2024, with projections of more than 250 for spring 2025. \"This represents over 15% of our student populations,\" Nelson said, and he estimated the growth produced roughly $500,000 in lost funding to his high school for a single semester.

Dr. Eric Nelson, principal at Chatfield Secondary School, said PSEO now risks becoming \"a bit like the wild, wild west,\" with lowered admission standards and an increase in students taking college courses for credits that may not align with degree pathways. He and other principals reported canceled in-district advanced courses — calculus, advanced languages and college chemistry — because enrollment fell when students selected PSEO alternatives.

Proposals offered to address inequities and sustain local options

Both principals recommended policy changes to balance student opportunity, quality and fiscal sustainability:

- Cap per-credit PSEO reimbursements or charge a flat per-credit fee to limit uncontrolled revenue losses by home schools.
- Prorate or recover funding when students withdraw or fail PSEO courses so high schools are not left covering subsequent remediation costs without revenue.
- Strengthen eligibility and enrollment guardrails (for example, limiting PSEO to 11th and 12th graders or requiring ACT/accuplacer thresholds) to reduce enrollments from students who are unprepared for college-level work.
- Incentivize and support high school College in the Schools (CIS) consortia that allow districts to pool resources and retain college-credit courses locally; use existing concurrent-enrollment grants to seed consortium development.
- Require colleges to share student-status updates at least twice during a term so high schools can intervene early and protect students’ eligibility for activities and remedial support.

Why it matters: Principals said the current PSEO growth pattern disadvantages small and rural high schools that cannot compete with flexible online options, thereby shrinking locally controlled rigorous offerings and eroding the academic pipeline.

No immediate legislative action was taken at the hearing; principals urged the committee to consider statutory changes that would preserve PSEO’s benefits while preventing unintended erosion of local high school programs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education Policy Committee 1/22/25","oneSentenceSummary","Principals from rural and small Minnesota high schools told the House Education Policy Committee on Jan. 22, 2025, that rapid growth in PSEO enrollment — especially online courses — is shifting funding away from home high schools and undermining local advanced-course offerings.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376219,"Minnesota superintendents warn unfunded mandates, rising costs leave districts facing multimillion-dollar shortfalls; committee lays over HF6",6444,135000,6579000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140497-f0568f1ad90dffd9be41423e56fe40f9&start=135&end=6579","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140497-f0568f1ad90dffd9be41423e56fe40f9/thumbnail_135000.jpg","/articles/6376219/Minnesota/Minnesota-superintendents-warn-unfunded-mandates-rising-costs-leave-districts-facing-multimillion-dollar-shortfalls-committee-lays-over-HF6","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376219-d226381f89c7763604a87f7db3c9b67a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732682&Signature=A8sgJOhvU7J1PrEArTVh1t9WgfDMHfqzCdtA8pgtMiaNOcpIqDnFxs-CZqaJNk1daMqGPYXHTOGQO-WeKuL55VdpshnQ4nwc5f3L98QYjPzaJT99i6zuMywuiQ1Wdh803GnHOQmhPRF-E5IX4I4kVaVlh3Reixj3oYInLxWjGDJ7prshFFhuQvl3kttTRIdjub70P3BJKeFX~TVEta-VkZhbtrFIRus2RWpD0KmVQsKxX4Feuc6Ak0nAW1VS4D8xhmPjdVAfnV8O6qw9tsxV2htWCFXT1XLZng1HJQ5qrpqfLR2SO4PTbEOJ3zjrjhEHtMo3q2qBXX~0VL3CT0ApLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendents and other district leaders told the Minnesota House Education Policy Committee on Jan. 22, 2025, that recently enacted state mandates and rising operating costs have produced multimillion-dollar deficits in districts large and small.

\"We knew immediately we're in a $20,000,000 deficit because of that,\" said Corey McIntyre, superintendent of Anoka Hennepin Schools, describing higher contract settlements and the end of federal pandemic relief. He said his district has cut central-office positions and still faces roughly $12 million in additional shortfalls.

Why it matters: District leaders said the combination of flat or declining enrollment, inflationary costs, and new or expanded benefits for employees — including summer unemployment coverage, paid family and medical leave and earned sick and safe time — is forcing cuts to staff and programs and increasing pressure to ask voters for additional local revenue.

District-level examples and impacts

- Corey McIntyre, superintendent of Anoka Hennepin Schools, said special education and multilingual learner cross-subsidies total roughly $40 million for his district, and that anticipated reductions to certain aids could add about $3 million to that burden. He said the district made roughly $19 million in personnel reductions (about $5 million then $14 million) and still expects another $12 million in shortfalls if policy and funding remain unchanged.

- Michael Thomas, superintendent of Prior Lake–Savage Area Schools, told the committee that his district’s projected revenue increases of 2–2.5% fall short of expense growth of roughly 5% and that underfunded mandates leave districts \"robbing\" other priorities to meet new requirements.

- David Law, superintendent of Minnetonka Public Schools, summarized statewide feedback from dozens of superintendents and said the changes enacted over the previous biennium have created \"statutory operating debt\" and forced districts to reprioritize core classroom services.

Leave and benefits cited as major new costs

Several speakers described how changes to unemployment insurance (UI) eligibility, earned sick and safe time (ESST), and paid family and medical leave (PFML) are producing immediate and recurring budget pressure and administrative workload.

- John Morstead, Osseo Area Schools finance director and president of the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials (MASBO), said his district spent about $1.8 million on summer UI in the most recent year and warned that, without changes, districts must cover any shortfall from their general funds. He said statewide UI spending rose from about $45 million in the first year to $58 million the next year and that projected costs could exceed $60 million for an upcoming summer.

- Jeff Drake, superintendent of Fergus Falls Public Schools, estimated the district’s ongoing PFML payroll-tax cost at about $115,000 per year and predicted staffing complications if a teacher could be gone for extended periods. He estimated summer UI as a recurring $240,000 annual liability for his district.

- Donna Friedman, director of administration and human resources at Forest Lake Area Schools, said summer UI filings created a major administrative burden: processing stacks of UI documents required two to three full workdays per week during summer months and, in 2024, 139 employees received summer UI at an approximate cost of $252,000.

Special education, literacy and other mandates

Speakers repeatedly cited rising special education referrals, transportation costs, and new literacy requirements as cost drivers.

- McIntyre said the district estimates $1.5 million in new costs tied to staffing, training and space to comply with the K–3 discipline statute, and that textbook and curriculum materials for elementary literacy adoption were roughly $3 million higher than anticipated.

- Several superintendents voiced support for the REED (science of reading) initiatives but said implementation has been \"overregulated and underfunded.\" Michael Thomas and others urged more time and funding to implement the REED Act with fidelity rather than rushing adoption.

Committee action and bill preview

Representative Peggy Bennett moved House File 6 before the committee \"with the intention that the bill be laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill or further action at a later date,\" and Chair Bennett later laid over House File 6. The bill, as previewed by the chair and sponsors, contains three articles: revisions to the REED Act, provisions to empower local control and create an \"office of achievement and innovation,\" and a temporary package of funding and mandate flexibility through the 2028–29 school year. The chair said the local option would let school boards delay implementation of certain new mandates or transfer nonfederal funds where state law permits.

What leaders asked lawmakers to consider

District leaders broadly urged lawmakers to: find sustainable state funding for new benefit programs or exempt schools from some provisions; provide ongoing dedicated funds for REED Act implementation instead of one-time allocations; reduce administrative reporting burdens; and offer short-term mandate flexibility so districts can implement changes with fidelity.

Committee context and next steps

The testimony represented urban, suburban and rural districts and the committee laid over HF6 for future consideration. Lawmakers did not adopt the HF6 proposals during the Jan. 22 hearing; the chair said the bill would be considered later for inclusion in an omnibus bill.","Superintendents and school leaders told the House Education Policy Committee on Jan. 22, 2025, that recently enacted state mandates and rising operating costs have produced multimillion-dollar deficits in districts large and small.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376214,"Elementary principals urge change to K–3 non-exclusionary discipline rule, say short suspensions sometimes needed for safety",719,3434000,4153000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140497-f0568f1ad90dffd9be41423e56fe40f9&start=3434&end=4153","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140497-f0568f1ad90dffd9be41423e56fe40f9/thumbnail_3434000.jpg","/articles/6376214/Minnesota/Elementary-principals-urge-change-to-K3-non-exclusionary-discipline-rule-say-short-suspensions-sometimes-needed-for-safety","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376214-7bda7a0e64c5152846b0d4fbcb0db0ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732682&Signature=Na75gsjRmCCNQQajYA-iRiIynxYCFUpDBwiqp-qDrXtJ~5~lp9qpvnpbDaQ6gR-itXx~pd1~nKk8hj8Oz~8WNsojVUcpMSPoo~HY~X1KwloJk4MmDHjYE~ACvO5rq3Vqd9oGFnBWPWMNBTTkOIWmuq4~8~TpD-YAQ9soD2I4RtitdlJaytLvUYK8QRb4cfRbvJn7UIvA5Dsr0Gu9l5GUmTApgLp5HthN~D0qm2gOQHVgoZPgRZDb3clymWejI437UdYugVaSnD6HcjyMc8nO~90lenIXvX~9YewtOAZ6nLDm3tAkywZVhyiSk-ame98BxS1HUC4kvhwR-oxB7nSThw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Principals from Minnesota elementary schools told the House Education Policy Committee on Jan. 22, 2025, that the state’s K–3 non-exclusionary discipline policy is preventing schools from responding to some dangerous or repeatedly harmful behavior and asked the committee to amend the statute to permit short suspensions in limited circumstances.

\"This policy has stripped us of the ability to make the best decisions for the safety and well-being of our students and staff,\" said Lisa Carlson, principal at Woodland Elementary in Eagan and president of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association. Carlson described situations where a single dysregulated child can disrupt learning for 25 peers and said short-term removal can give staff time to plan a reentry that protects all students.

Patrick Glynn, principal of Jeffers Pond Elementary and a principal in Prior Lake–Savage Area Schools, said short suspensions provide \"the gift of time\" to plan reentry supports and that victims of harm need time and distance to feel safe. Glynn told the committee that in his school over five years he recorded 14 suspensions (five in-school and nine out-of-school); seven of the out-of-school incidents involved K–3 students who were receiving special education services and returned after a half or full day suspension with a reentry plan.

Why it matters: Principals said short suspensions are used only as a last resort and that removing the option forces schools into either immediate readmission or escalation to expulsion — a remedy principals said is inappropriate for very young children. They urged the committee to allow up to three days of suspension for K–3 students when necessary, coupled with continued monitoring and reporting to the Minnesota Department of Education.

What principals asked lawmakers to do

- Amend the non-exclusionary discipline statute to permit suspensions of up to three days for K–3 students in narrowly defined circumstances.
- Require reentry planning and parent conferences when a suspension is used, and maintain state monitoring of suspension data for accountability.

The committee did not act on a statutory change during the hearing; principals requested lawmakers consider limited amendments that they said would restore a measured option for safety while keeping expulsions rare.","Elementary principals testified to the House Education Policy Committee that the statute banning suspensions for kindergarten through 3rd grade leaves schools unable to respond when young students are repeatedly violent or seriously dysregulated and asked lawmakers to allow brief suspensions up to three days in limited cases.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Principals say rapid PSEO growth strains high schools financially and erodes local course offerings; propose caps and shared solutions

Minnesota superintendents warn unfunded mandates, rising costs leave districts facing multimillion-dollar shortfalls; committee lays over HF6

Elementary principals urge change to K–3 non-exclusionary discipline rule, say short suspensions sometimes needed for safety