ST. PAUL - Kelly Gibbons, the Executive Director of SEIU Local 284, the union of over 10,000 school employees across the state who work as paras, school bus drivers, custodians, office staff, food service workers, and more, shared her thoughts on the November forecast from the State of Minnesota announcing a projected 17.6 billion dollar budget surplus:

“In Minnesota, we have a long history of being a leader in public schools that are funded in a way that ensures all students – no matter our race, zip code, or wealth – have access to a world-class education. Unfortunately, we are still in a hole from Tim Pawlenty's disastrous decisions taking money away from our education system that are causing our students and schools to fall behind. The projected $17.6 billion surplus gives Governor Walz and the DFL House and Senate, who ran on fully funding our schools, the chance to deliver on this election promise.

"It's time we fix the staffing shortages that are hurting students across the state. We need elected officials to finally deliver on Unemployment Insurance, so hourly school workers finally have the same safety net as nearly all other workers. We lose too many bus drivers, paras, and more because they can't make ends meet with the current system. We also have a chance to deliver transformational change by passing the ESP Bill of Rights, helping to make sure these essential jobs are finally treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. It's time for action."