As a high school teacher, I was continually perplexed by how state funds were spent in my school. While there was a shortage of textbooks, pens and chalk, there also appeared brand new marble flooring in the entry way or at one time, a new laptop for the principal. As education funding increased, I had to ask, why wasn’t I seeing it in the classroom?

Too often, money that taxpayers expect to go for the education of students is being spent on incidentals with no direct bearing on classroom instruction. There are too many levels of costly bureaucracy between the superintendent and student. Research shows that academic achievement is directly linked to classroom activity. Why, then, can’t we ensure that the billions we spend on K-12 education target the classroom more effectively?

I am authoring legislation to do just that. My bill — endorsed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty — would require that 70 percent of our K-12 education dollars be channeled to where we know it matters most: for the kids in the classroom. As a result, more money can be dedicated for smaller class sizes, additional teachers, and more textbooks and other classroom materials. If enacted into law, more than $112 million could be freed from school district administration expenditures and spent on classroom needs.

School districts would be allowed to exclude transportation, debt service, food service and other costs in working to reach the 70 percent threshold. But other non-classroom spending areas — school administration, support services, athletics and operations and maintenance — should be subject to review. Already, some 20 percent of Minnesota school districts have been able to dedicate 70 percent or more of their funding to the classroom and many more are near that point. It is not unreasonable to ask that all school districts strive to achieve that level of dedicated classroom funding.

There would be no immediate sanctions for school districts that fail to meet the 70 percent threshold, and waivers could be granted to school districts having difficulty meeting that goal. However, school districts would be required to report its status to the public and formally adopt a three-year plan charting how it plans to meet the 70 percent level.

Last year, the legislature approved more than $800 million in new funding for our schools and many voters approved additional funding through local levies. The state now spends more than $12 billion for K-12 education over a two-year period. Taxpayers and parents rightfully have an expectation that this money should be well spent. Requiring that 70 percent of K-12 funds go the classroom makes our schools more accountable to taxpayers and improves the academic environment for our students and teachers.

Karen Klinzing is a state representative for District 56B in Woodbury, Minnesota. A teacher for 14 years, Rep. Klinzing serves on the House Education Finance and Education Policy & Reform Committees.