Bloomington Public Schools (BPS) superintendent Dr. Eric Melbye and the Bloomington School Board visited Washington, D.C. last week to advocate for federal funding for public education. The visit was part of the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) Advocacy & Equity Institute conference. BPS was the only district representing Minnesota at the conference.

Dr. Melbye and board members met with U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, and U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison to share the board’s federal legislative priorities. The School Board is asking U.S. lawmakers to increase funding for special education and mental health services and to continue funding for title programs.

“Bloomington and other public school districts rely on funding from state and federal sources to offer the best education for our students. The Board and I appreciated the opportunity to share information on the impacts of federal funding, for Bloomington and the state of Minnesota as a whole,” said Dr. Melbye.

Closer to home, the School Board is advocating for Minnesota lawmakers in the 2025 Legislative Session to address funding shortfalls, modernize testing and enact safety policies. The board will share its Minnesota legislative priorities during the Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) and Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) Joint Day at the Capitol event on March 10.