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MSBA Delegate Assembly addresses special education funding, school safety issues

The 2018 MSBA Delegate Assembly approved 17 legislative resolutions Saturday, December 1, in Minneapolis.

The Delegate Assembly - comprised of public school board members from across the state - debated and voted on resolutions to help set MSBA's legislative priorities for the 2019 legislative session and beyond.

Among the noteworthy resolutions, the Delegate Assembly urged the Minnesota Legislature to address special education funding and school safety issues. See how the Delegate Assembly voted on each resolution below.

Also, scroll down for a photo slideshow from the Delegate Assembly.

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Resolution No. 1 - Full Funding of 2018 School Safety Grants

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to fully fund the 2018 Minnesota Department of Education School Safety Grants for all the qualifying applications, maintaining all criteria.

• How They Voted - PASSED 59-48

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Resolution No. 2 - Adopt One Predictable and Equitable Special Education Formula

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to adopt one predictable and equitable special education funding formula which eliminates the cap and returns transportation to a fully funded dedicated revenue source.

• How They Voted - PASSED 109-0

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Resolution No. 3 - Funding to Cover Cost of Transportation of Open Enrolled Students When Required on IEP

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to authorize funding to cover the currently unfunded school district cost of transporting open enrolled students with disabilities for whom transportation is a required IEP service.

• How They Voted - PASSED 104-6

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Resolution No. 4 - Pay for All Educational Costs When Students Become Wards of the State

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to directly pay all educational costs for students who become wards of the state.

• How They Voted - PASSED 110-2

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Resolution No. 5 - Level IV Special Education Staff Development Funding

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to re-authorize and fund Level IV Special Education Professional Development Grants.

• How They Voted - PASSED 109-4

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Resolution No. 6 - Level IV Mental Health Innovation Funding

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to fund the Innovative Mental Health Grants established previously by the Legislature.

• How They Voted - PASSED 103-5

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Resolution No. 7 - Special Education Transportation for Pregnant And Parenting Teens

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to allow pregnant and parenting teen students to be transported using special education vans and buses, without reduction of school district revenue.

• How They Voted - PASSED 84-16

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Resolution No. 8 - Provide Free School Meals

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to provide free meals for all students.

• How They Voted - FAILED 83-27

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Resolution No. 9 - Expand the Use of Long-Term Facilities Maintenance Levy

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to allow the use of the Long-Term Facilities Maintenance Levy to include security improvements and emergency communications systems and devices.

• How They Voted - PASSED 111-1

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Resolution No. 10 - Allow Education District Programs to Access the Safe Schools Levy

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to amend the Safe Schools Levy Statute by adding education district program costs as authorized expenditures.

• How They Voted - PASSED 101-8

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Resolution No. 11 - Ballot Question to Increase Sales Tax for Special Education

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to allow the voters of Minnesota to approve a constitutional amendment for a dedicated sales tax to support special education funding without any changes to the current funding formula.

• How They Voted - FAILED 104-6

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Resolution No. 12 - Grant School Boards Levy Authority Up to Cap

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to grant school boards operating levy authority to the legislative cap on voter-approved operating levy.

• How They Voted - FAILED 77-34

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Resolution No. 13 - Definition of Sexual Harassment

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to critically examine the definition of "sexual harassment" as defined in the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

• How They Voted - FAILED 90-17

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Resolution No. 14 - Unrequested Leave of Absence

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to clarify the language of M.S. 122a.40, Subd. 10 and M.S. 122a.41, Subd. 14a by adding the following language: "The parties may not ratify a teacher contract effective July 1, 2019 or thereafter, which does not contain a required negotiated plan for issuing an unrequested leave of absence. If a school district needs to place a teacher on unrequested leave of absence after July 1, 2019, and prior to the ratification of a contract effective July 1, 2019, or thereafter, school district policy will be used to determine which teacher will be placed on unrequested leave of absence."

• How They Voted - PASSED 96-12

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Resolution No. 15 - Student to Counselor/Social Worker Ratio

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to support student and staff ratios of under 300-to-1 for number of students to counselors and social workers per school site, provided the state funds additional positions needed.

• How They Voted - FAILED 87-24

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Resolution No. 16 - School Start and End Time

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to oppose any state mandated start and end times for the school day.

• How They Voted - PASSED 101-7

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Resolution No. 17 - School Board Vacancy

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to allow local school districts to fill school board member vacancies by appointment of an eligible individual until the school district's next election cycle.

• How They Voted - PASSED 106-4

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Resolution No. 18 - Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to modify M.S. 123B.02, Subd. 21 to include "renewable energy" and "energy storage systems."

• How They Voted - PASSED 102-4

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Resolution No. 19 - Allowable Pay for School Board Members

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to amend M.S. 123B.195 to increase the maximum amount earned by a school board member from $8,000 to $10,977; however, school board members' pay for driving school buses is exempt.

• How They Voted - PASSED 81-22

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Resolution No. 20 - Minnesota Attorney General to File a Special Education Lawsuit

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to pass a resolution, as provided for in House Rule 4.02, asking the Minnesota attorney general to file a lawsuit on behalf of Minnesota school districts that requires the federal government to fulfill its pledge to fund 40 percent of federally mandated special education costs.

• How They Voted - PASSED 93-16

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Resolution No. 21 - Allow School Districts and Emergency Responders to Develop Emergency Drills

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to allow local school boards and school leaders to work with emergency responders to develop emergency drills that do not force evacuation.

• How They Voted - PASSED 100-7

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Resolution No. 22 - Align Minnesota Special Education Statutes and Rules with Federal Law

• Resolution Statement - Be it resolved, that MSBA urges the Legislature to align Minnesota special education rules and statutes with federal law in the areas of conciliation conferences, state and district assessment reporting, IEP goals and objectives, transition services, functional behavioral assessments, and prior written notice.

• How They Voted - PASSED 94-13

 

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