Click photo to watch Rep Ryan Winkler and Sen Katie Seiben hold "Pay Back Our Kids" news conference
A tearful mother tells reporters that her daughter goes to kindergarten with 28 kids, she can’t get the individual attention she needs. Minnesota now ranks 47th in class size say Democratic Farmer Labor party (DFL) lawmakers, and they propose closing corporate tax loopholes to pay back $2.2 billion the state has borrowed from schools to balance the state’s budget.
Representative Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley) says if his proposal is passed, schools would be paid back in five years. While he says that doesn’t guarantee schools will hire more teachers to reduce class sizes, he’s seen that schools have been reducing staff as they borrow money to make up for what the state has borrowed from them.
Several of the past state budgets shortfalls have been covered by borrowing from the schools, which is done by delaying payments to them from the state.
