Require Minnesota to provide TI-84 calculators for students on SNAP benefits who take an AP math and science course

 

Providing TI-84 calculators to students from SNAP-eligible households is essential to ensuring equitable participation

and success in AP math and science courses. AP classes such as Calculus, Statistics, Physics, and Chemistry assume

regular use of a graphing calculator for instruction, homework, and exam preparation. Because TI-84 calculators cost

between $100 and $150, many low-income students cannot afford this required tool, creating a barrier that discourages

them from enrolling in AP courses or limits their ability to perform at a college-ready level. Consistent access to a

personal calculator throughout the year is also critical for developing the fluency needed to succeed on AP exams and

earn college credit. By providing TI-84s to students receiving SNAP benefits, schools can remove a significant financial

obstacle, close opportunity gaps, and ensure that all students are able to fully engage in rigorous, college-level

coursework.

 

Approximately 37% of Minnesota students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and SNAP serves over 440,000

Minnesotans, highlighting the scale of financial need. Without calculators, students risk falling behind their peers in

rigorous AP courses, which can affect their college readiness and opportunities for college credit. Additionally

students can not use any from of electronic calculator on the AP exam so schools where the students can only use the

calculators in won't be helpful. 17.4% of schools (or 63 schools) in Minnesota have below-adequate funding so being able

to provide calculators on their own is not likely. Every day, the amount of families relying on SNAP benefits grows, and

it isn't accessible for families to purchase 100-dollar calculators for their children. These calculators will be lended

to said students on a yearly rental basis; students taking Advanced Placement STEM courses will be able to borrow TI-84

calculators for the full school year, and they will return them in the spring, similar to how students turn in

Chromebooks at the end of the year.

 

SNAP benefits - monthly funds provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help low-income

households buy groceries

TI-84 - A Graphing calculator

AP Math and Science courses - Advance placement math courses such as AP Statistics, AP Pre-Calc, AP Calculus AB, AP

Calculus BC, AP Physics, AP Chemistry

Equitable - fair and just, especially in a way that takes account of and seeks to address existing inequalities

Sin Tax - a tax on items considered undesirable or harmful, such as alcohol or tobacco.

 

 

Currently, the MN Board of Education receives 42,667 Billion dollars from various taxes. Specifically, they receives 2%

of the taxes taken from liquor, tobacco, and gambling purchases. This equates to roughly 853,340,000 dollars. This

proposed initiative will cost 200,000 dollars to fund calculators for the 6% of Minnesota students who receive SNAP

Benefits, also taking into account the 11.5% of Minnesota high school students who took an AP course in 2024, assuming a

generic TI-84 calculator costs $100. Adjusting the Board of Education funds simply requires an minor increase.

Understanding that certain gambling activities require high math skills to succeed, it is only logical to receive the

needed funds from the Sin Tax. This bill will increase the taxes received from the liquor, tobacco, and gambling

purchases from 2% to a 2.0005%. This simple change will improve education inequalities for thousands of high school

students. Because of the calculator borrowing system, this bill only requires a one-time payment. April of 2027 is when

we would increase the tax to pay for this bill. If another rounded of new calculators are needed to refill the amount of

TI-84 calculators, either due to class enrollment size or broken/damaged calculators, the state will impose another

round of this 2.0005% tax.

 

N/A

 

This bill will take effect in the 2027-2028 school year