Thursday, January 17, 2013
As a parent, do you support state funding for all-day kindergarten? Why or why not?
Among the first bills of the 2013 Minnesota Legislative session included one that would provide state funding for school districts to offer all-day kindergarten. Sen. Chuck Wiger, a co-author of a bill, said the funding would provide “an important step toward enhancing Minnesota’s commitment to quality education for all children.” Some school districts in the Twin Cities are already providing all-day kindergarten at an extra or no cost. The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Board reallocated funding - $1.5 million - to fund a free, all-day kindergarten program for the 2012-13 school year. Although, some questioned the sustainability. In the Osseo School District, some Maple Grove and Plymouth parents have the option to pay to have their …
Friday, June 3, 2011
Hopkins Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) looks back on this year's session and ahead to the upcoming special session.
The 2011 legislative session has ended and Minnesotans are still waiting for a compromise deal to close the $5 billion budget deficit. I’m disappointed that the GOP leadership was not willing to negotiate during the regular session with Gov. Dayton to find a reasonable solution to the state’s fiscal crisis. Now we are headed for a special session and possible government shutdown. I believe there could have been a fair and equitable conclusion to this session that would have benefited the citizens of Minnesota. The governor’s budget proposal reflects the tough choices that need to be made in times of crisis: he’s proposed to cut spending by nearly $2 billion. But his proposal is also fair and responsible –balancing the budget through a …
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Increased funding, new tests and more flexibility are among the ideas.
When the state Legislature convenes Jan. 4, various groups will already be hard at work trying to convince lawmakers to see their points of view. Hopkins Public Schools is no different. The district's Legislative Action Coalition is a group of directors and community members that develops a legislative platform every fall with planks, or proposals, it would like to see the state enact. The school board adopted that platform last week. The proposals are important discussion points in their own right, but they also offer a look at the district's needs and the pressures it faces. Here is a look at the eight proposals, what they mean and why they're included. "The State of Minnesota must … "Meet its constitutional obligation to fully fund E-…
44.933188
-93.412741
Hopkins Public Schools Independent School District 270
1001 Highway 7, Hopkins, MN
/articles/hopkins-school-district-adopts-2011-legislative-proposals
979768
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Saturday, December 4, 2010
Down economy inspires some to scrutinize spending on the project, which would run through Hopkins.
One day a light rail station may stand at Eighth Avenue and Excelsior, a boulevard may open a gateway from the station to Mainstreet and visitors may exit the trains to spend the day shopping and eating in downtown Hopkins. But not if state Rep. Michael Beard can stop it. The Shakopee Republican told Finance and Commerce last month he wanted to stop the Southwest light rail line "in its tracks." As head of the House transportation committee, Beard alone has a strong voice in the matter. And his opposition is part of a growing pushback all over the country against large-scale rail projects. This is a trend some Minnesota rail supporters fear will only increase with the Republicans' ascension to power at the state Legislature. The focus of …
44.92119
-93.41026
8th Ave S & Excelsior Blvd, Hopkins, MN
/articles/southwest-light-rail-project-faces-growing-anti-rail-sentiments
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Shannon
1:16 pm on Thursday, January 24, 2013
TUSHAY Mark! Good info more ›