The revenue generated from school trust lands is used exclusively for the benefit of Minnesota's schoolchildren.
Since 2018, U. S. Steel’s Minnesota Ore Operations at Minntac and Keetac have provided more than $154 million to Minnesota public schools through the Minnesota Permanent School Fund (PSF). These funds are distributed to all public schools in the state, not just in iron mining communities. U. S. Steel provides $47 per pupil in the entire state.
Each of the state’s 326 public school districts and 178 academies and charter schools receive funding every year, based on student population. A record $38.8 million in spendable income from the PSF was distributed during the 2022-23 school year. To see what each school district receives from this program, check out this interactive web map from the Minnesota Office of School Trust Lands.
This fund has origins dating back to when Minnesota became a state in 1858.
Specific land was originally granted to Minnesota from the federal government for schools and over time, much of it has been sold. Now, proceeds from the land sales help support public education.
Revenue generated from specific practices on these school trust lands – including minerals management – are distributed to Minnesota schools. U. S. Steel’s Minnesota Ore Operations is the largest contributor to the fund, accounting for approximately 90% of all contributions.
EDUCATION highlights
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U. S. Steel is the largest contributor (approximately 90%) to the Minnesota School Trust Fund$0M
Contributions to the Minnesota school trust fund since 2018$0
Donated by U.S. Steel for a new gymnasium for Rock Ridge High School“The Legislature intends that it is the goal of the permanent school fund to secure the maximum long-term economic return from the school trust lands consistent with the fiduciary responsibilities imposed by the trust relationship established in the Minnesota Constitution, with sound natural resource conservation and management principles, and with other specific policy provided in state law.”