House DFLers want to increase the amount of money that all public schools receive by 2 percent in each year of the next biennium -- a total cost of $315 million. That works out to $209 in additional spending for each student across the state.

The survey found 24 of the 46 districts surveyed by the association will need to borrow, a significant increase over the 15 districts that borrowed last year.

Negotiations on the major budget bills continued behind closed doors at the Capitol Monday, as lawmakers and Dayton administration officials worked to craft an agreement to fund government and end a state shutdown.

After House and Senate Republicans on the K-12 education conference committee reached agreement on Tuesday night, the details were put in writing and released to the public Wednesday night.

Gov. Mark Dayton laid out a broad, seven-point plan for reforming education on Friday morning. He also reiterated that his budget, which is due February 15, will increase funding for K-12 schools as he promised on the campaign trail.

Estimates vary, but few believe there are more than eight people in Minnesota who actually understand the state's byzantine formula for funding K-12 education. Those seeking to scale the heights of K-12 finance would do well to spend the long weekend poring over a new 60-page report on the subject from the state House Fiscal Analysis Office.

A last minute bid by DFLers to pass a K-12 education bill failed this morning in the state House.

The K-12 omnibus bill that's expected to reach the House floor late this week already contains a provision ratifying Pawlenty's "mimic" of a K-12 education payment shift. That would solve $1.2 billion of the problem for bookkeeping purposes.

The Senate Education Finance chairman is praising Pawlenty for proposing education reform proposals. His House counterpart slammed Pawlenty for antagonizing the teachers union. The two are scheduled to hold a joint hearing tomorrow morning.

The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) will delve into the state's sex offender treatment program in Moose Lake and St. Peter, K-12 online learning and Minnesota's environmental permitting procedure in upcoming evaluations.