School districts face tough economic times ahead. Last year, the Legislature increased education funding by 2 percent this year and 1 percent for 2008-2009. This year, legislators threw in a little bit extra: amounting to about $50 per student. In Eden Prairie that turns out to add about $500,000 in one-time funding for 2008-2009.

“Given that it’s a bonding year, it’s not typical that schools get additional money,” noted School Board Chair Carol Bomben.

But, she added, given that they had such low funding last year, “there was a huge expectation” for the state to come in at much higher than what they received.

Bomben acknowledges that given the economic situation, the monies the district received were actually better than they had hoped for this round.

But it won’t be enough to stave off future financial shortfalls.

Bomben notes that, for a district like Eden Prairie, just to stay even, they’ll need about a 4 to 5 percent increase.

That level of funding doesn’t restore cuts, and it doesn’t add to the ability to do anything new, she said.

“Then you throw in increased gas costs, increased food costs …”

According to the district, the price of diesel has jumped from $2.4125 to the $4.249 they pay today. With increased transportation costs comes increased food costs.

According to Superintendent Melissa Krull, that $500,000 will offset any planned cuts in the future.

According to Krull, that reduction has now grown to $11 million that will need to be cut by the 2010-11 school year.

The reduction has grown and there a couple of reasons “but one of them really is fuel costs.”

The ultimate problem, according to Bomben, is that the school funding formula is broken. She was excited by the possibility of a “new Minnesota Miracle.”

A coalition of education groups came together recently and finished a study that breaks down the next step to devising an education funding formula.

Bomben said the exciting piece is that it came on the premise of “How much does it cost to educate a kid?”

Right now we base our school funding on how much money there is, “it’s not based on the reality of what you need to educate our students and meet the standards that we put in front of our schools to reach.”

Fast facts

* Legislators passed one-time additional funding amounting to $50 per student for public schools. Eden Prairie School received an additional $500,000 through the increase.

* The funding adds to the 1 percent increase schools will receive for the 08-09 school year.

* Officials estimate they’ll need at least a 4 percent increase in the years to come just to keep up with rising costs of education.

* District now facing an $11 million shortfall for the 2010-2011 school year. Changes are planned for the coming school year, including increasing the costs of adult and student breakfast and lunch by 10 cents. In addition, the district is planning a $200 increase for all-day kindergarten to $3,100, according to a budget workshop Monday.