Changes regarding staff development are coming in fiscal year 2014.The requirement for a distribution of staff development funds to buildings, district, and exemplary sites was repealed in the 2012 legislative session.
The requirement to reserve 2% of general education revenue for staff development will resume in FY ’14 after four years of being waived. MREA does not expect this waiver to be extended beyond the 2012-13 school year. This is one of the reasons that Greater Minnesota schools are urging legislators to set a Budget Target for Education that beats inflation.
Under 122A.61, school districts have the option of appropriately expending and coding 2% of their general fund revenue for allowable staff development expenditures or waiving the requirement locally with a majority vote of licensed teachers and a majority vote of the school board.
MDE’s School Finance Division outlined the changes in UFARS coding to account for the current staff development statute 122A.61 in its SCHOOL BUSINESS BULLETIN (Number 49). View a summary from MREA on these changes.