Minnesota voters will decide this fall whether to amend the state constitution so that public school districts can draw more money from a $2.3 billion trust fund that was established at statehood, a bipartisan-backed proposal that would increase classroom dollars without any increase in taxes.
As reported by the Associated Press on May 27, 2026, the measure was referred to the ballot by the Legislature with backing from both parties. It asks voters to lift the constitutional ceiling that has constrained distributions from the Permanent School Fund — a trust that originated with federal land grants when Minnesota became a state in 1858 and has grown to $2.3 billion as of 2025 through royalties on mineral rights and land leases.
The fund already provides annual payments to every public school district, but the existing cap limits the amount that can flow to classrooms. Proponents — who include state Rep. Spencer Igo and Sen. Mary Kunesh, among other lawmakers — argue that unlocking a larger share of the fund would deliver a predictable revenue stream to districts without requiring any increase in state or local taxes. School organizations are also campaigning in favor of the amendment.
The ballot question will appear alongside other statewide and local measures in the November 2026 general election. Because it seeks to amend the Minnesota Constitution, it must win a majority of all votes cast in the election, not merely a majority of those who cast a ballot on the question itself. If passed, the amendment would mark the first major change to the Permanent School Fund’s distribution formula since the 19th century.