Minn. Education Department Makes Its Case To House

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Representatives of the Minnesota Department of Education are set to present Gov. Mark Dayton's proposed education budget to the House Education Finance Committee.

The committee meets at 12:30 p.m. Thursday for the first of what is expected to be several days of testimony on Dayton's $14.2 billion budget for K-12 education.

Among the highlights are proposals to spend $33 million on all-day kindergarten, $17 million on grants to encourage innovation and excellence and $2 million to expand an early childhood education rating program.

The plan wouldn't immediately repay $1.4 billion in aid that was delayed as part of last year's budget fix. Dayton says he aims to begin paying it back in the budget cycle that starts roughly three years from now.

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