Scott Jensen's Education Plan Will Devastate Minnesota Public Schools

St. Paul, MN - Today, Minnesota Republican governor candidate Scott Jensen released an education plan that would slash funding for Minnesota’s public schools while giving tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthy.

“From voting to underfund Minnesota schools to reducing access to pre-K for Minnesota’s youngest learners, Republican Scott Jensen has a long and dangerous track record of leaving Minnesota students behind,” said Marissa Luna, executive director of Alliance for a Better Minnesota. “Every Minnesota student should have access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to succeed. Our students, teachers, and families deserve better than Scott Jensen’s extreme plan to decimate our public schools.”

On Tuesday, August 30, while releasing his education plan at the Minnesota State Fair, Scott Jensen said that he doesn't believe in fully funding education and doesn't even understand what “fully funding education even means.”

In May, when asked by MPR, “Do you support more money for public schools or less money?” Jensen replied, “Less money.”

Jensen has said that public schools need to “share the pain” and led the campaign against a school funding referendum to help build new schools in Waconia. The local school district’s elementary schools got so packed that they had to put students in warehouse space.

In the Minnesota Senate, Scott Jensen voted to give millions of dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest Minnesotans and big tobacco companies at the expense of our schools and health care.

As a state senator, Scott Jensen voted to underfund Minnesota schools and reduce access to pre-K for Minnesota’s youngest learners.

In addition to his plan to cut funding for public education, Scott Jensen previously released a tax plan that will phase out the state income tax with no proposals for how to fund the public programs that rely on income tax revenue.

Individual income tax accounts for more than $30 billion over the biennium and funds Minnesota’s early childhood and K-12 education, transportation, health care, higher education, public safety, and more.

Scott Jensen’s plan to cut funding for Minnesota’s public schools means that schools might have to cut classroom programs, lay off teachers, and increase class sizes at a time when schools and educators are already severely struggling.