How the Minnesota Shutdown Effects High School Students

“Minnesota has shut down, in all forms of the government recently, because of the current economic crisis. What does this closure mean for you, the residents, of Minnesota? What does this mean for people that would like to visit Minnesota? How does this effect your children and their education? Sadly, the state shutdown does, in fact, effect your children, their schools and their teachers. The statewide shutdown started on July 1, so it may not effect your children or their schools at the moment, but if the state doesn’t “”re-open”” by time school starts back up it will. How exactly will it effect them though? Will this mean they wouldn’t have to go to school? Would they have different teachers?

Your children will not have new teachers according to WDAY6 News. If the recent college graduate did not have their teaching license paperwork turned in before July 1, they aren’t allowed to be hired, “”no license.no job.”” This could be a good thing, since your children would know all their teachers, but a bad thing if there are new teachers out there that aren’t able to get a job because of the government shutdown.

Even though teachers aren’t state employees, both their salaries and other school expenses (books, food, pencils, classroom supplies) do relay on the Minnesota state government. The money for these things come from money that each school district receives by the state district they are located in. Mertesdorf is also president of the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials, which represents all school budget officers in the state. She says the concern centers around cash flow — if state money dries up, will she be able to meet payroll and keep paying bills?

Sadly, this isn’t the first shutdown Minnesota has had, they had one in 2005, and Mertesdorf and her peers are looking at the past shutdown on how to handle the current shutdown. Attorney General Lori Swanson, filed a petition on Monday to see if they could get the administration to continue paying the schools money. In 2005, the Attorney General at the time, tried this, and they allowed it.”

Dad’s Eye View

State Shutdown Impact on Northfield Public Schools

Some Minnesota school districts scrambling to fill teaching positions

Minnesota Public Radio: K12 Shutdown Impact