 | K-12 is priority for state
Minnesota’s lawmakers are in a tough spot. The economy is weak, tax revenues are down and there’s just not enough money to meet all the obligations the state government has taken on. In short, state spending is going to decrease, and just about every program is on the block. Fair enough. We’re uncomfortable, however, with the direction that preliminary spending plans are taking: Lawmakers ought to be making a greater effort to protect funds for K -12 education.
Although there will be many twists and turns before the state budget is complete, early proposals call for reductions in state funds for primary and secondary education. On the face of it, there’s sense in cutting equally from education as from other budget areas. In the long term, however, that is a destructive trend. A state that scrimps on basic education is a state that will find itself growing ever poorer. Minnesota’s greatest resource is its young minds; if those minds are not nourished and enriched, there is a much slighter chance that the state’s future will be bright. It is the state with the weakest education systems that continually score the lowest on rankings of health, wealth, safety and quality of life. There is a cause and effect relationship, and Minnesota needs to avoid getting into a downward spiral fueled by weakening public education.
Every budget proposal that comes forth should be examined with one question in mind: Are we doing all we can to keep public education strong? Following that path is the key to long-term success, not only for individual students but for the state as a whole. It is worth tightening belts even further in other areas of the budget, if necessary.
Lawmakers need to make protecting K-12 education a priority during this budget crisis. Doing anything less for education is a mistake.
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