Schools Foundation Honors Mindy Greiling

The Roseville Area Schools Foundation on Tuesday honored retiring state House Rep. Mindy Greiling with its first Friend of the Foundation award.

The non-profit group, which provides grants to augment school services and programs in the Roseville public schools, said it was recognizing Greiling for her dedication to strengthening K-12 education. Greiling is a 10-term state representative for District 54A and the former chair of Minnesota House Education Finance Committee.

Speaking at the Foundation's seventh annual fall luncheon, Greiling talked about her days on the Roseville School Board and time in the Legislature.

Greiling said she is leaving the Legislature, disappointed the state owes some $3 billion to Minnesota schools because of shifts in delaying payments to school districts. In recent years, the Legislature has delayed full aid payments to school districts in order to help the state deal with budget deficits.

"We need to return to the days when the state funded schools the right way," Greiling told the audience of some 250 people. Currently, the state owes school  districts about $3,700 per pupil, she said.

"Until we ( state Legislature) get things in order, we need to have foundations like this (Roseville Area Schools Foundation)," Greiling told the crowd.

The Roseville Foundation plans to disburse about $48,000 in grants during 2012-13 school year for programs, services and equipment in the district, the group's board chairman Mark Traynor said.

To find out more about the Foundation's Tuesday luncheon, click here to see this Roseville Patch story.

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Roseville District 623 Superintendent John Thein presented the Foundation's award to Greiling at the group's seventh annual fall fundraising luncheon at Midland Hills Country Club.

The Foundation will honor Greiling with its inaugural “Friend of the Foundation” award for her strong support of the Roseville Area Schools Foundation and her dedication to strengthening K-12 education.