Minnesota
The Enabling Act to create the state of Minnesota was enacted February 26, 1857. The act granted sections sixteen and thirty-six for the support of common schools, as well as lands in-lieu of these sections, if they had previously been disposed of or sold. Additional grants of lands were later added to the trust acreage. The original grant was for 2.9 million acres. Approximately 2.5 million acres and an additional one million acres of mineral rights remain in trust ownership. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages the school trust lands. The primary sources of revenue are from mining, timber, land sales and surface leases.
The Minnesota Constitution, in Article XI, Sec. 8, does identify the school trust lands and identifies some restrictions on the sale and revenue distribution from those lands. It also outlines the management of the Permanent School Fund where surface, mineral and sales revenues are deposited. The Board of Investments, consisting of the governor, state auditor, secretary of state and attorney general are charged with investment of the Permanent School Fund. A distribution is made to school districts across the state twice a year from the interest and dividends.
Research Links
Available Documents
| Title |
Link |
| Minnesota Funding Flowchart |
download |
| Minnesota Enabling Act |
download |
| Minnesota State Constitution |
download |
| FY 2008 Distribution to Public Schools |
download |
| FY 2008 Surface Revenue |
download |
| FY 2008 Mineral Revenue |
download |
| Original School Acreage |
download |
| Surface and Mineral Acreage |
download |
| FY 2008 Permanent Fund Data |
download |
| 2008- Law Changes to the Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee (statutes) |
download |
| 2008- Changes to the Permanent School Fund Statutes (summary) |
download |
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