UNDATED (LEARFIELD) The latest statewide scores show only about 51 percent of students tested met proficiency levels in reading, and only 45 percent were proficient in math.

Minnesota Education Commissioner Heather Mueller says “it can be seen as disheartening” but notes this is the first time Minnesota had to navigate a pandemic and still educate children.

Republican state Representative Ron Kresha (CREE-shaw) from Little Falls says Governor Tim Walz has yet to come out with really good solutions:

“All he’s done is cry about funding and all these other things,” said Kresha. “Well, you’re an education governor. Put a directive out there to fix this literacy (problem) and let us put legislation in front of you that will do that.”

Locally, in the Marshall School District 46 percent of students who took state assessments this year were proficient in math, 46.5 percent were proficient in reading.