A New Frontier in Minnesota School Funding: How "Cabin Country" Districts Are Leveraging State Aid
Across the north-central region of Minnesota, school superintendents are navigating a complex financial landscape that feels more like an intricate algebraic equation than a simple budget request. For districts like Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (WHA) and…
Beyond the Classroom: The Growing Momentum for Career and Technical Education in Minnesota
This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Capitol Reporting Workshop for Minnesota youth, with financial support from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. Every day, as the clock strikes 11:30 a.m., the traditional high school…
Turning the Page: How Minnesota’s READ Act Is Reshaping Literacy Education
This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2026 Capitol Reporting Workshop for Minnesota youth, with financial support from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. For Hennepin County Commissioner and former state representative…
Unlocking Minnesota’s Legacy: The Push to Modernize the Permanent School Fund
By [Your Name/Editorial Staff] For over 165 years, a silent financial engine has been humming beneath the surface of Minnesota’s public education system. Established at the dawn of statehood in 1858, the Permanent School Fund (PSF) was designed by the…
The Ink-Stained Vanguard: How Minnesota’s Student Newspapers Survive the Digital Shift
MANKATO, Minn. — One hour before the 9 p.m. hard deadline on a humid Monday, the newsroom of The Reporter at Minnesota State University, Mankato, is a study in controlled chaos. For editor-in-chief Anahi Zuniga, the atmosphere is surprisingly serene.…
The Funding Gap: Minnesota’s College Grant System Faces a Mounting Crisis
For over four decades, the Minnesota State Grant Program has served as a cornerstone of the state’s commitment to higher education, providing a vital financial lifeline for tens of thousands of students. Yet, as the 2025 fiscal year unfolds, this pillar…
The End of an Era: Jane E. Kirtley Reflects on the Future of a Free Press as She Retires
After a quarter-century of defining the intersection of law, ethics, and journalism at the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Jane E. Kirtley is stepping down. Her departure on May 25 marks the conclusion of a…
The Invisible Classroom: The Growing War Against ‘Ghost Student’ Financial Aid Fraud
In the quiet suburbs of the Twin Cities, Century College, a two-year institution serving roughly 8,700 students, has become an unlikely frontline in a high-stakes battle against organized digital crime. While faculty and staff should be focusing on…
The "Cabin Tax" Pivot: Minnesota School Districts Leverage New State Aid to Revitalize Budgets
In the high-stakes world of school finance, timing is usually everything. For decades, administrators have operated under a golden rule of electoral strategy: avoid the crowded, high-tension atmosphere of even-year general elections. Statistical data…
A Classroom Under Siege: Minnesota Educators and Districts Sue to Restore ‘Sensitive Locations’ Policy
By [Your Name/Journalistic Staff] This story was originally reported by The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. In an unprecedented escalation of the conflict between federal immigration enforcement and the American public school system, a…
