| Minneapolis is located in the mid-Eastern
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| | Language. Most of the Minneapolis Schools
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| portion of Minnesota. It is the
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| | communications are printed in English,
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| sister-city to St. Paul, and sits on the
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| | Hmong, Spanish and Somali.
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| banks of the Mississippi River.
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| | Educators, legislators, and parents alike
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| Minneapolis Schools serve approximately
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| | are ever mindful of school funding. The
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| 36,000 students. 16% of those students
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| | $13.8 billion education bill recently
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| are enrolled in special education
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| | passed by the state legislature boosts
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| programs, 24% are English Language
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| | spending on special education by about
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| Learners, and 67% are participants in the
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| | $330 million, the largest-ever increase.
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| state's Free/Reduced Lunch program.
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| | A school district with large numbers of
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| Minneapolis Schools employ 226
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| | special education students, like the
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| administrators, 115 principals and
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| | Minneapolis Schools, is one of the
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| assistant principals, 3,276 teachers, and
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| | biggest winners under the bill.
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| 2,682 other staff members which includes
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| | The legislature has typically put most
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| educational assistants, clerical and
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| | new education spending into the per-pupil
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| student support workers, food service
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| | formula. That's the basic amount that
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| workers, transportation engineers,
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| | Minneapolis Schools get for each student.
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| janitorial engineers, and tradesmen.
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| | But this year, the biggest chunk of new
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| The Minneapolis School consists of 99
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| | education spending goes to schools to
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| different schools: 23 K-5 elementary
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| | educate students with physical and mental
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| schools, 22 K-8 elementary schools, 7
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| | disabilities. The Minneapolis Schools,
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| middle schools (grades 6-8), 7 senior
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| | where one in six students qualify for
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| high schools (grades 9-12), 8 special
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| | special education services, would get
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| education schools, 8 alternative schools,
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| | more money than nearly every other
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| 19 contract alternative schools, and 5
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| | district in the state.
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| charter schools. The entire budget for
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| | Federal law requires the district to
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| the 2006-2007 school year was
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| | provide special education services, yet
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| $587,371,902, with the majority -
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| | the state and federal governments don't
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| $376,924,691 - going to the general
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| | pay the full cost of those programs. So
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| operating fund.
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| | the Minneapolis Schools have previously
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| With the mission: "To ensure that all
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| | used money from other parts of their
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| students learn. We support their growth
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| | budget to cover those costs.
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| into knowledgeable, skilled and confident
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| | The special education money in the
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| citizens capable of succeeding in their
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| | education bill will give Minneapolis
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| work, personal and family lives into the
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| | Schools an additional $382 next year for
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| 21st Century," the Minneapolis Schools
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| | every student, not just those in special
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| use the following strategic plan:
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| | education programs. Additional spending
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| - Reconnect with families and the
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| | means additional programs can be
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| community to support student learning
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| | maintained or implemented; like when the
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| - Refocus our attention on student
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| | Minneapolis Schools added Spanish
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| learning and academic achievement
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| | immersion hoping to attract students and
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| - Recreate a viable school system that is
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| | curb declining enrollment. According to
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| responsive to the needs of students,
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| | figures kept by the state Department of
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| families, staff, and the community
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| | Education, the Minneapolis Schools'
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| Of particular interest are the more than
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| | enrollment increased by 3 percent from
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| 90 languages spoken in the homes of the
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| | 9,974 to 10,302 between 2005 and 2006 --
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| students of Minneapolis Schools. They
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| | right after the district began offering
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| range from Afgan, Afrikaans, and
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| | immersion.
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| Croatian, to Yiddish, Swahili, and Sign
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