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the( ai~ pro,ams had too long bene-
<br />fited the big cities and that it was
<br />time for the smaller cities to get
<br />what they thought wa~ their far
<br />share of the pot.
<br />
<br /> On top of that, the LeEJslature had
<br />
<br /> 20 other pupils. ~. ,: :~ .. ,,,.....
<br /> ~In Mtnncapolis, 'en;ollmen'i has
<br /> dropped from 72,587 in the 1969.70
<br /> ~ehool year to ~.6,038 last year.
<br /> Meanwhile, the aid it got for these
<br /> disappe, aring student~ rose from just
<br />ol.~'erea'bn;ad htnts that if the cities ' over $1 '"~" in
<br /> m..u. .:he 1974-75 school
<br />
<br />couiem't agree on a formula, it would
<br />do iL '.
<br />
<br />"In 1977 and "/8 we were talking
<br />veFy openly about what the crunch
<br />wus going to be" when the new popu-
<br />lation figures were official, said state
<br />Step. James Pehler, DF'L-St. Cloud,
<br />
<br /> year to an ~timated $6.4 million last
<br />· school year. .
<br />
<br /> The r~ult ha~ been a hefty pack of
<br /> CaSh fc/'SChooI dk%'Fh'icts across the
<br /> state, p~rticular!y ~o~:,e in *.he metro--
<br /> polltan ar~ that ?s2e losing the most
<br /> pgpulation. Each seasion ~e lobby,
<br />
<br />Minnea~oiis offiCia!~ expect to re-
<br />ceive about $50 million. ~
<br />
<br />In 1979 St Paul receiv~ 822.7 mil-
<br />lion. The city received $26 million
<br />this year. and expects to receive
<br />about $30 million next year.
<br />
<br />Few ~hooi aids are alfected by the
<br />federal cereus. Two eXcePtions are
<br />~ederaI aid for disadvantaged stu-
<br />dents and Minnesota's community
<br />education aid. Calculations for both
<br />start with ce~'~us r~ults. -
<br />
<br />ttowever, the 1980 census ~on't have
<br />
<br />!is donated cm~puter time worta
<br />mc}re L~an $10,01~0 to show the ef-
<br />le~..!.'; of each proposal. A~ter 1our
<br />mant~s of work, a corr~promise was
<br />reached.
<br />
<br />Steve Wellington, an atde to St. Paul
<br />M~yor George Latimer and a pmwLlcl-
<br />p~.r~t in the formula discu%ions, geld,
<br />· "~.ltially there were.a lot of con-
<br />ccr~s about v~tc~ :tm:er~t~. Tiaey
<br />w~:re. $,rted out, I'.ut they never dis-
<br />appeared."
<br />
<br />The compromi~.e reduced the em-
<br />pha.:ks on p{~;mlation for municipal-
<br />:dd d~ribution. It t,*rgtead ['Ut em-
<br />phast:~ on the local tax b~se and the
<br />mx rate in place, but left roam for a
<br />population factor if a ctW was grow-
<br />lng.
<br />
<br />For Minneapolis and St. Paul, where
<br />
<br />would receive proportionately the
<br />same aid es the big eitie.~ and even
<br />m~:,'e if their popu~tton grew.
<br />
<br /> l.n e~fect, there were no losers. The
<br /> LegislatUre adopted the proposal
<br /> without muct change In 1979.
<br />
<br />The intense' nef,,otiations sYmboltze
<br />the im~;mnce teat population prays
<br />in the budgets of Mlane.-sota'f cities.
<br />counties, school distrtcls and town-
<br />ships, all of v,,hich receive some
<br />iorm of state ali. ·:
<br />
<br />In Iff/l, long b~fore the Legislature
<br />e~dorsed a r~o-loss policy fo;- aid to
<br />cRie~ losing population, lobbyists for
<br />metropolitan school districts pusaed
<br />through a formula that cushioned
<br />their loss of students. .~ '.
<br />
<br />Their argument ~ that easts am't:
<br />be cut ~s fast as enrollments drop.
<br />Even If a classroom loses five stu-
<br />dents and their aid, the schoot dis-
<br />trier still must pay a teacher for the
<br />
<br />who worked clo~ly v, qtk lo{mi gay- l~s have succeeded in liberali.'n?ng~.- much immediate effect, accordkug to
<br />eminent finance. "If taey (citi~) "~_e ad to ~e ~i. nt where.iLs cost ~ Moan; tederal pro~ direc-
<br />dlCm't reali~ ~e need for change, .~ ~ah~! y~r approached $62 ~I: tar for. Mina~polk~ .~hoo~. It will
<br />th(m ~e Legislature was telling mom .. 'lion ~ ~m~ iO parent of ~e Sen-~ take the ::Ceesus Bureau several
<br />
<br />R, resen~ttves of the competing ~e a~emp~ of lobb>~ for 1~1:' --~ople qu~i?7 ~or ~e fede~ aid
<br />fa::?3 met ih.r~u~?mut the I~:11 of 'government-to c~hion ~pulafion -pro~hes.~id. ..
<br />197~ and into, ~,c winter. The ~neet- . ab. iris are get viewed ~ ~e ultimate :
<br />h,s~ i~cneral!y were ted.a~, de~iled..~lufion to d~bu~g ~t~d man- T~e ~me pc~puia¢on gen~ affect-
<br />and m'duo~. · '.. ay. . ~ lng inn. er meB~opolt~n dL~ic~ also
<br /> .:' -... have raised enrolirnena in. some
<br />Secrn!r, gly endiess formula~ and ~'I d°n't t~ it's ~e a~er," ~d -counti~ suu~aunOing~e 7~in
<br />x'a~a~orm were proposed. Minr~eap~ /.~ Pehler of ~e murdcipal fomula. "1 .Thg' h~ ~;~ed ~qeir repr~en~-
<br />go ~tnk it's ~ a~empt to cushion fives to lobk.y for t~eir om spcmial
<br />. iny saii~. ~rom h~e we ~n to aid, aimed at scbr:~ok ~ining more
<br /> look at aiter~aflv~."" ' :: ' ~ 2 p~rceni a~;nualy in popula-
<br />
<br /> Ce'new fomul'a repr~en~ p~al '
<br /> acceptance of ~e ph~Phy ~at '~* ~ ' ' }
<br /> iacto~ o~er than population affect .,. United Stat~ in the amount of ~mte
<br /> . -a ciW's need for ~sgmace.. ~ :~... aid' per ~capf~, ~mq appropriated
<br /> FOr crumple, it ~ frequenOy ar~acd men~s and sda~l dk~c~ cluing the
<br /> · ~at ttte c~ of providing p~llce pr~ cu~nt 'i~o-y~r budget ~od. The
<br /> te~on er ~we~ is ~ mine whe~- to~ state budget f'; gg.2 billion.
<br /> er one ~Fmn liv~5 lB a hou~c or five · .
<br />
<br /> It ~ ~ '.~.rgu~ ~at it c~ more to ' ~e Le~isleX~rc ~iqar~ ~ing ~em
<br /> hi.er cancenh~fi~n of low4ncmne I~eL in n~z.~ou ia aid to cifi~ ~d
<br />
<br /> Furthermore, they' are old~::r im up a ~rge share of counW welfare.
<br /> ~c~re'mnd are h~ly ~d by c~
<br /> nonr~iden~ (such s~ ~mmutem) -;'
<br /> who do not eo;:~bute to ~e ~ Receht projections t~at ~e state
<br />~ mt~ we~ hi~ compared wi~ b~. .: " ,fac~ a ga0 m~ion revenue shortage
<br />subur~ and our:rote ciflc~, ~e new ..
<br />~ommla meant that ~te aid would· In 1~79 Mi~pol~ r~etved $45.4 :~~c°~d affect, ad payment, however.
<br />con,hUe to hold tim a ~ poffion of :~ion ~ ~m~ aid. In '1980 It r~ :~!~v. ~ Qa!e h~ t~:~ted'~at he
<br />municipal revenue...' ..... ' L~ived ~e mine moat 'pl~ a~ut - 'my ~k that 1~i ai~ ~ reduced if
<br />
<br />For s~ler clfl~, tt 'meant ~ey - W r~uce ~e ~t of ~e CIW's pu~ "govement Opem~o~ '~'t ab~rb
<br />
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