School’s out! Good news for educational support professionals! Minnesota has amended its unemployment insurance law for education support professionals that work in a non-instructional position (i.e., it does not apply to teachers). Effective May 28, 2023, school employees such as bus drivers, food services staff, paraprofessionals, and administrative workers, are now eligible to apply to receive unemployment insurance during the summer months (so long as there is a “reasonable assurance they will be employed the next school year). Any employee in a non-instructional capacity may use wages earned from school employment into the calculation of their weekly benefit amount – even if they are returning to the same or similar job during the next school term.

A question I have received a lot is whether the payment of wages during the summer would prevent receipt of unemployment. The answer is NO. Qualifying individuals that have their salary spread out through the entire year are still eligible for unemployment during the summer when they are not working. MN Unemployment Insurance has provided guidance on its website here.