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Minnesota must keep education valued
University Chronicle
EDITORIAL BOARD
The issue: Minnesota has found itself with a projected $1.95 billion budget deficit.
What we think: The state cannot afford to make anymore cuts and raise tuition for K-12 or higher education.
The State of Minnesota has found itself in a big hole.
Minnesota will be about $2 billion behind on its bills on June 30, 2003. It was only a short time ago that Minnesotans were enjoying record tax rebates that Gov. Jesse Ventura provided.
Ventura has a plan, as any governor should. His plan attempts to make everyone in the state feel the pinch instead of laying all the pressure on one area of government to try and balance the budget. This is a noble idea and one that should be followed through.
One area of government that cannot handle anymore budget cuts is education. The Ventura administration has spelled bad news for local education since he took office. Every other stone in the Minnesota government must be looked under before any cuts to education should be considered.
K-12 school districts around the state are already trying to figure out ways to make ends meet. School districts in Osseo and Elk River have considered going to a four-day school week.
One way that Ventura plans to balance the budget is to reduce the $14 million that is earmarked to help make rich and poor school districts more equal. Some districts were in line to receive $415 more per student. Under Ventura’s plan, these kids would only see an extra $58.
Higher education could also feel the pinch as Ventura would like to see sales tax exemption eliminated for both K-12 and higher education. This would raise about $48 million a year for the state.
If this plan goes through and college and universities have to start paying sales tax, the students will most likely be the ones who will have to foot the bill.
Minnesota used to be a progressive state when it came to education, now the educators are struggling to just stay alive.
Education must be put back on top of its pedestal and looked at as something that must continually be properly funded. Doing anything less means that much bigger trouble than budget woes could lie ahead for the state of Minnesota.
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