Scott Croonquist

Feb 19, 2014

Early childhood scholarships to get a push

Winkler bill would devote an additional $20 million to aid Late one night near the tail end of the 2013 legislative session, Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, took to the House floor to register a complaint. While his fellow Democrats heaped praise on the education omnibus funding bill then before the House, Winkler zeroed in ...

Oct 2, 2013

Shift payback news a boon to DFL House

The resolution of the 2011 Minnesota government shutdown produced one of the main talking points that DFLers rode to control of the Legislature in the 2012 elections. Despite DFL Gov. Mark Dayton’s hand in agreeing to the budget solution, House and Senate DFLers hammered the Republican legislative majorities for delaying aid payments to schools as part of the negotiated fix to a $5 billion defic[...]

Mar 20, 2013

DFL budget aim: $38B – give or take

Gov. Mark Dayton and the DFL-controlled House and Senate largely agree on the parameters of the budget for the next biennium. The plans put forward by each of the three propose spending in the neighborhood of $38 billion over the next two years.

Nov 30, 2011

Metro schools survey: Nearly two-thirds will borrow to cover costs

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.

Sep 23, 2011

School districts turn to voters for financial help

Keith Lester’s first day as superintendent of Brooklyn Center Schools was Sept. 12, 2005. The next day, voters shot down a proposed property tax levy increase to help fund the schools. If Lester thought at the time that it was a temporary setback, he was wrong.