Elizabeth Hanke for Mankato School Board

Rising Costs of Education Mandates and Their Impact on Classrooms and Teachers, Minnesota

Here’s a letter I recently sent to my legislative representatives. I’m sharing it publicly because I believe it echoes concerns growing in our Mankato community—and I suspect others might be wondering about these issues too.

Dear Legislators

I was hoping to attend this weekend’s town hall but did not notice there was a registration and missed the deadline.  I have had teachers reach out concerned about the rising cost of mandates and their pensions.  In response I have taken a closer look at Minnesota’s biennial education budget, I felt compelled to write and share deeper concerns about the direction of education spending in our state.  The below views are my own and are not a reflection of the district or my colleagues.

I am increasingly alarmed by the rising costs tied to new mandates in Minnesota’s education system—and the unintended consequences they are having on teachers, classroom funding, and long-term pension stability.

The Minnesota Department of Education’s 2024–25 budget has grown to $24.2 billion, a 20% increase from $20.1 billion in 2020–21. While investing in our students is critical, the rapid growth in mandates and administrative overhead is placing unsustainable pressure on school districts.

These mandates, like Universal School Meals ($387 million statewide) and the Read Act (75 Million), are only partially funded by the state.  Districts across Minnesota, including Mankato, must adjust budgets to cover the gap.  For ISD 77, Universal School Meals are anticipated to cost us an additional $350,000 and the READ act around $500,000, next year – dollars pulled from other needs. 

Likewise, the nonexclusionary discipline training initiative ($3.5 million statewide) asks educators to adopt new behavioral systems focused on restorative practices and de-escalation. While these goals are commendable, the burden falls on already overextended staff navigating increasing classroom behavioral challenges—without adequate staffing, mental health services, or time built into their schedules for collaboration.  Whether it’s hiring reading specialists, implementing new discipline protocols, or expanding facilities for program compliance, districts are too often caught in a cycle of mandates without the money to fulfill them properly.

In 2020–21, roughly 95% of the state’s $9.7 billion education budget flowed directly to schools. Today, an increasing share is absorbed by mandated programs and administrative costs, leaving local districts with less flexibility to address their most urgent needs.

Beyond instruction and discipline, teachers are also facing growing financial uncertainty around retirement. The projected $99 million increase in pension contributions in 2026–27 may help stabilize the fund in the short term, but there is no long-term strategy to ensure sustainability or protect benefits.

(Call to action) In addition to these funding concerns, I urge lawmakers to streamline the education funding process so that school districts are not constantly chasing competitive grant dollars. These grants often require extensive applications, reporting, and compliance documentation—diverting time and energy toward administration and paperwork rather than direct student support. 

 Research shows that fragmented, grant-based funding often leads to inequitable resource distribution and contributes to burnout among administrators and frontline educators alike (Learning Policy Institute, 2021, Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University). Stable, formula-based funding—with clear guardrails and flexibility—should be the norm, not the exception, if we truly want to prioritize classrooms over bureaucracy.

With more than 850,000 students relying on Minnesota’s public schools, we must ask difficult but necessary questions: Are we overextending our resources in ways that weaken our classrooms? Are our policies aligned with the daily realities faced by teachers, administrators, and students?

I urge you to reexamine the cumulative impact of these mandates. Let’s work toward a more balanced, classroom-focused approach—one that prioritizes student learning, supports our educators meaningfully, and protects the long-term health of our education system.

Thank you for your time and for your continued service to our state.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Hanke

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