A Note from Dr. Neubeck
At this time of the year, especially this year, you turn on the news or look on social media and there is information about the State Legislature, the billions of dollars in surplus, and all of the programs proposed. As of last week, there were over 5800 bills introduced into the House and Senate with about 50% of the session to go. A normal year would have about 4000 bills for the entire year. I appreciate these people who are elected and the time and thought it takes to make the best decisions possible for ALL people in Minnesota.
With the surplus, those of us in education are hopeful that we will receive funding that will help us pay teachers, create programs, and develop an even better system for our students and families. The Governor's budget proposal is giving schools an historic amount of money which could mean more than a $1 million dollars for our district. This is great news and would be very helpful for our district and for districts across the State.
However, part of the bills that are being introduced include unfunded mandates that would cost our district more money, in the end, than what we would be receiving from the State. Some of these mandates include paid family medical leave for 12 weeks, extended prep time for teachers, and a $25 minimum wage for non-licensed staff to name a few. The State will pay for portions of the mandates but the school districts are responsible for the rest. We are not like a food chain and can raise the price of a hamburger to make up the difference. The burden falls back on the taxpayers and, for the residents of Byron without the big businesses in town, this is usually a higher than average cost. I bring this up because, if you haven't been following along this legislative session, I urge you to keep a watch on the progress, ask questions, and reach out to legislators with your thoughts. It does make a difference. I know there is money being made available for many great and needed programs, but we are watching closely as these unfunded mandates may affect our bottom line.
As always, it's Great To Be A Byron Bear!
Dr. Mike Neubeck
Superintendent
Byron Public Schools
Email: mike.neubeck@byron.k12.mn.us
Website: https://www.bears.byron.k12.mn.us/
Location: 801 Frontage Road Northwest, Byron, MN, USA
Phone: 507-775-2383
Facebook: facebook.com/byronbears
Twitter: @neubecksupt
POG C's in Action
The Profile of a Graduate is the model we use to live out the District's Strategic Plan on a daily basis. It has been 5 years since we first implemented the Profile of a Graduate and we continue to find ways to teach the six Cs: Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Citizenship, and Character.
Learn more about our Profile of a Graduate!
Activities/Athletics Ticket Sales Go Online
Construction Update
The construction plans continue to move forward and it will be great to watch our facilities transform over the next 18 months. It is exciting to see the progress and to think about what great facilities we will soon have for our students and our community. Please check out our webcam at https://app.oxblue.com/open/knutson/byronhsathletics and watch the time lapse pictures. We are so appreciative of the community's support.
