By Grace Jacobson / News Director

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate passed the Education supplemental budget bill (HF 5237) on Tuesday, which includes funding for a new education facility in St. Cloud.

Penned by Sen. Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud), the bill will provide a $250,000 grant to the St. Cloud Area School District to build an emergency medical services (EMS) education facility at Apollo High School.

The provision would address the current shortage of EMS workers, and help train and prepare high school students to fill these jobs.

Sen. Putnam says he’s already started working with people at CentraCare, Mayo Clinic and the St. Cloud Area School District to make this program a reality.

The bill passed the Senate on a vote of 34-30 and will now move to a conference committee.