Perpich School Under Scrutiny.  The Office of the Legislative Auditor has released its report on the Perpich Center for Arts Education and the report points out some problems that have arisen at the school.  Several of the issues deal with the decision by the Center to undertake a formal relationship with the Crosswinds Arts and Science School, a charter school that has been managed by the Perpich Center since the East Metro Integration District was disbanded.  The Legislative Auditor's report was heard in both the House Education Innovation Policy Committee and the Senate E-12 Policy Committee.

Here is a link to the report:  

Executive Summary

Full Report

The House Education Finance Committee heard from a number of groups on programs that supply college credit to high school students, including Post-Secondary Enrollment Options, Concurrent Enrollment, and Advanced Placement.  With the five-year reprieve from the Higher Learning Commission requirement that instructors of concurrent enrollment classes to have either a Master's Degree or eighteen credits in the curricular area they are teaching for college credit, the discussion surrounding these programs will certainly pick up steam.

House Passes Health Insurance Premium Relief Bill.  The full House passed SF 1--the bill that would provide relief to MN Sure clients who have experienced large premium increases--on a vote of 73-54 (straight party line) this afternoon.  The bill will now go to a conference committee to iron out differences between the House and Senate bills.  The challenge for the Legislature will be to construct a bill that will get the Governor's approval.  This is a pressing matter, as the enrollment period for MN Sure ends on January 30 and everyone involved would like to have this issue resolved by then.  The primary difference between the Governor and the Legislature appears to be over how the rebate will be delivered.  The Governor would like insurance companies to simply drop the premium by 25% for those consumers that are affected by the increases while the Legislature wants the consumers to apply for the rebates and have their incomes verified before receiving the rebate.  This will be the first test of whether the process can "get to yes" on major issues.

BILL INTRODUCTIONS

House

HF 335-Layman--Grant for Myles Reif Center for Performing Arts

HF 341-Thissen-Strategies to Prevent Over-enrollment of Minority Students in Special Education

HF 344-Davnie-Increase in General Education Basic Revenue and Indexing it to Inflation, Increasing Special Education Aid, Allowing School Boards to Renew Existing Referendum Levies

HF 376-Swedzinski--Creates Choice Scholarships for Students Who Have Dropped out of High School

HF 379-Swedzinski-Expands Special Education Teacher Licensure Program at Southwest State University

Senate

SF 186-Wiger-Grant Program for Student Support Teams to help Transition between Middle School and High School

SF 189-Kiffmeyer-New Revenue Stream for Low-Funded Districts

SF 204-Latz-Increase in Community Education Revenue