Most Minnesota K-12 students are enjoying their “spring” break this week before returning to school for the push till summer break. After summer, Minnesota students and schools will be in a whole new ballgame.

Last year, Governor Dayton and the DFL Legislature made education a top priority, and it’s obvious how high of a priority when you look at the numbers.

Here are just some of the ways our progressive leaders have prioritized education:

• Education funding increased by $238 million
  
• Free all-day kindergarten in every school district
• An increase of $40 million for special education
  
• Fully repaid the $700 million debt owed to schools from previous borrowing

That’s a lot of progress. It’s also significant to note that this progress came after a decade of cuts to schools and state budget deficits. Conservatives borrowed from schools, while simultaneously failing to make sure education funding kept up with needs or inflation. This put schools in a very difficult position, forcing some to resort to extreme measures such as budget cuts, four-day school weeks or borrowing money to keep up with students’ needs.

Governor Dayton and the progressive legislature reversed that trend and put schools back on a more solid, reliable path to success knowing that investing in education also boosts the economic potential of Minnesota’s future.

Making education a top priority is perhaps one of the best things we can do for Minnesota’s future. But more importantly, it’s one of the single best priorities we can have to help everyone succeed across all backgrounds- after this spring break and far beyond.