WILLMAR -- Willmar School Board members had a lot of questions for the men who will represent them in the Minnesota Legislature next year.
However, answers are in shorter supply right now, as Sen. Joe Gimse, R-Willmar, and Rep.-elect Bruce Vogel, R-Willmar, prepare for the 2011 Legislative session, which begins Jan. 4.
The School Board met with the legislators in a workshop meeting Monday. Questions about school funding and other specific issues are difficult to answer right now, Gimse said.
"Education has always been a top priority," Gimse said. He told the board that lawmakers in both political parties hope to avoid cuts in state aid to schools, but many factors could affect that.
The economy is an important consideration, he said. The state faces a $5.8 billion projected budget shortfall over the next two years. An updated forecast in December could change that figure.
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Another consideration is "how well the Legislature does their work," Gimse said. Legislative action in other areas may dictate how well lawmakers can protect education, he added.
Republicans took control of the House and Senate in the Nov. 2 election, the first time that's happened in nearly 40 years. The leadership has developed a new committee structure that Gimse said he hopes will move early to set budget goals.
Gimse and Vogel each said they expect Mark Dayton will be the next governor. The race was close enough to require a statewide recount. Dayton leads Tom Emmer by more than 8,700 votes.
How well the new Legislature and governor can work together will be another consideration in what happens with state funding levels, they said.
Vogel said he hopes the Legislature will take a close look at how state aid is determined, because districts in the metro area receive more funding per pupil than rural districts.
Board members asked the legislators to consider allowing school districts to extend existing operating levies for a period of five years.
They also asked that the Legislature allow school boards to decide when their school years would start.
Elected board members should have the power to begin the school year when they see fit, said Superintendent Jerry Kjergaard.
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Gimse said legislators also hear from resort owners and other employers who don't want students to return to school until the summer tourism season is over.
