May 16—ROCHESTER — In the waning hours of the legislative session, Rochester Public Schools got a way-early Christmas gift.
Negotiators for a joint House-Senate conference committee agreed to restore funding for a program that trains Rochester students to become licensed practical nurses and information technologists while earning a high school diploma and a two-year college degree.
Uncertainty over funding in St. Paul had put the program called P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) at risk.
Funding for the program was slashed last year under a legislative provision little noticed at the time that authorized a statewide competitive grant process that included but was not limited to Rochester.
At the time, Rochester was the only district in the state to receive state funding for P-TECH. To keep the program running this year, Rochester officials relied on unspent funds from the pandemic.
Under the recent agreement, the RPS program will receive $971,000 for fiscal year 2025 — its start-up amount — followed by appropriations of $500,000 in 2026 and $250,000 in 2027.
Rochester Superintendent Kent Pekel said he was "thrilled" with the outcome.
"Our legislators from Rochester came together on a bipartisan basis to support this innovative program that's preparing students for success in two fields critical to Rochester's future: nursing and information technology," he said.
Its distinction as the only P-TECH program to receive state funding was a reflection of GOP Sen. Carla Nelson's influence as chair of a K-12 committee at the time. Nelson had wanted to fund more P-TECHs across the state but didn't have the money.
Nelson, who no longer serves on the K-12 committee, championed maintaining funding for Rochester P-TECH at its original level, even as the program was expanded to other districts. Nelson applauded the committee's decision.
"As the original author of the legislation that funded Minnesota P-TECH, I could not stand by while recent versions of P-TECH legislation were poised to completely undermine the program's foundation," Nelson said in a statement. "P-TECH has been and must remain a program that transcends the partisan rancor."
Nelson had been critical of a proposal by Sen. Liz Boldon that would have reduced funding for P-TECH from its original $791,000 to $500,000 in 2025, to $250,000 in 2026 and to $50,000 in 2027. The idea, a Boldon aide said last week, was to ensure a gradual "step-down" in funding for RPS rather than a cliff-like plunge. Nelson, a Republican, and Boldon, a DFLer, both represent districts in Rochester.