Minnesota Legislature
HF 2961
as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/19/2018 01:28pm
Current Version - as introduced
1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23
3.24
3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32
4.33
5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23
5.24
5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 5.29 5.30 5.31 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24
6.25
6.26 6.27 6.28 6.29 6.30 6.31 6.32 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8
7.9
A bill for an act
relating to education finance; modifying early education provisions; establishing
five regions for the voluntary prekindergarten program; authorizing the
commissioner of education to determine the total amount of Pathway II
scholarships; making school readiness plus permanent; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2017 Supplement, sections 124D.151, subdivision 5; 124D.165, subdivision
3; Laws 2017, First Special Session chapter 5, article 8, sections 9, subdivisions
2, 5; 10, subdivision 3.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2017 Supplement, section 124D.151, subdivision 5, is
amended to read:
Subd. 5.
Application process; priority for high poverty schools.
(a) deleted text begin To qualify for
program approval for fiscal year 2017, a district or charter school must submit an application
to the commissioner by July 1, 2016.deleted text end To qualify for program approval for fiscal year 2018
and later, a district or charter school must submit an application to the commissioner by
January 30 of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which the program will be
implemented. The application must include:
(1) a description of the proposed program, including the number of hours per week the
program will be offered at each school site or mixed-delivery location;
(2) an estimate of the number of eligible children to be served in the program at each
school site or mixed-delivery location; and
(3) a statement of assurances signed by the superintendent or charter school director that
the proposed program meets the requirements of subdivision 2.
(b) The commissioner must review all applications submitted for fiscal year deleted text begin 2017 by
August 1, 2016, and must review all applications submitted for fiscal yeardeleted text end 2018 and later
by March 1 of the fiscal year in which the applications are received and determine whether
each application meets the requirements of paragraph (a).
(c) The commissioner must divide all applications for new or expanded voluntary
prekindergarten programs under this section meeting the requirements of paragraph (a) and
school readiness plus programs into deleted text begin fourdeleted text end new text begin fivenew text end groups as follows: the Minneapolis deleted text begin anddeleted text end new text begin school
district; thenew text end St. Paul school deleted text begin districtsdeleted text end new text begin districtnew text end ; other school districts located in the metropolitan
equity region as defined in section 126C.10, subdivision 28; school districts located in the
rural equity region as defined in section 126C.10, subdivision 28; and charter schools.
Within each group, the applications must be ordered by rank using a sliding scale based on
the following criteria:
(1) concentration of kindergarten students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches by
school site on October 1 of the previous school year. A school site may contract to partner
with a community-based provider or Head Start under subdivision 3 or establish an early
childhood center and use the concentration of kindergarten students eligible for free or
reduced-price meals from a specific school site as long as those eligible children are
prioritized and guaranteed services at the mixed-delivery site or early education center. For
school district programs to be operated at locations that do not have free and reduced-price
lunch concentration data for kindergarten programs for October 1 of the previous school
year, including mixed-delivery programs, the school district average concentration of
kindergarten students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches must be used for the rank
ordering;
(2) presence or absence of a three- or four-star Parent Aware rated program within the
school district or close proximity of the district. School sites with the highest concentration
of kindergarten students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches that do not have a three-
or four-star Parent Aware program within the district or close proximity of the district shall
receive the highest priority, and school sites with the lowest concentration of kindergarten
students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches that have a three- or four-star Parent
Aware rated program within the district or close proximity of the district shall receive the
lowest priority; and
(3) whether the district has implemented a mixed delivery system.
(d) The limit on participation for the programs as specified in subdivision 6 must initially
be allocated among the deleted text begin fourdeleted text end new text begin fivenew text end groups based on each group's percentage share of the
statewide kindergarten enrollment on October 1 of the previous school year. Within each
group, the participation limit for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 must first be allocated to school
sites approved for aid in the previous year to ensure that those sites are funded for the same
number of participants as approved for the previous year. The remainder of the participation
limit for each group must be allocated among school sites in priority order until that region's
share of the participation limit is reached. If the participation limit is not reached for all
groups, the remaining amount must be allocated to the highest priority school sites, as
designated under this section, not funded in the initial allocation on a statewide basis. For
fiscal year 2020 and later, the participation limit must first be allocated to school sites
approved for aid in fiscal year 2017, and then to school sites approved for aid in fiscal year
2018 based on the statewide rankings under paragraph (c).
(e) Once a school site or a mixed delivery site under subdivision 3 is approved for aid
under this subdivision, it shall remain eligible for aid if it continues to meet program
requirements, regardless of changes in the concentration of students eligible for free or
reduced-price lunches.
(f) If the total number of participants approved based on applications submitted under
paragraph (a) is less than the participation limit under subdivision 6, the commissioner must
notify all school districts and charter schools of the amount that remains available within
30 days of the initial application deadline under paragraph (a), and complete a second round
of allocations based on applications received within 60 days of the initial application deadline.
(g) Procedures for approving applications submitted under paragraph (f) shall be the
same as specified in paragraphs (a) to (d), except that the allocations shall be made to the
highest priority school sites not funded in the initial allocation on a statewide basis.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective for fiscal year 2019 and later.
new text end
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2017 Supplement, section 124D.165, subdivision 3, is amended
to read:
Subd. 3.
Administration.
(a) The commissioner shall establish application timelines
and determine the schedule for awarding scholarships that meets operational needs of eligible
families and programs. The commissioner must give highest priority to applications from
children who:
(1) have a parent under age 21 who is pursuing a high school diploma or a course of
study for a high school equivalency test;
(2) are in foster care or otherwise in need of protection or services; or
(3) have experienced homelessness in the last 24 months, as defined under the federal
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, United States Code, title 42, section 11434a.
The commissioner may prioritize applications on additional factors including family
income, geographic location, and whether the child's family is on a waiting list for a publicly
funded program providing early education or child care services.
(b) The commissioner shall establish a target for the average scholarship amount per
child based on the results of the rate survey conducted under section 119B.02.
(c) A four-star rated program that has children eligible for a scholarship enrolled in or
on a waiting list for a program beginning in July, August, or September may notify the
commissioner, in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, each year of the
program's desire to enhance program services or to serve more children than current funding
provides. The commissioner may designate a predetermined number of scholarship slots
for that program and notify the program of that number. deleted text begin For fiscal year 2018 and later, the
statewide amount of funding directly designated by the commissioner must not exceed the
funding directly designated for fiscal year 2017.deleted text end Beginning July 1, 2016, a school district
or Head Start program qualifying under this paragraph may use its established registration
process to enroll scholarship recipients and may verify a scholarship recipient's family
income in the same manner as for other program participants.
(d) A scholarship is awarded for a 12-month period. If the scholarship recipient has not
been accepted and subsequently enrolled in a rated program within ten months of the
awarding of the scholarship, the scholarship cancels and the recipient must reapply in order
to be eligible for another scholarship. A child may not be awarded more than one scholarship
in a 12-month period.
(e) A child who receives a scholarship who has not completed development screening
under sections 121A.16 to 121A.19 must complete that screening within 90 days of first
attending an eligible program.
(f) For fiscal year 2017 and later, a school district or Head Start program enrolling
scholarship recipients under paragraph (c) may apply to the commissioner, in the form and
manner prescribed by the commissioner, for direct payment of state aid. Upon receipt of
the application, the commissioner must pay each program directly for each approved
scholarship recipient enrolled under paragraph (c) according to the metered payment system
or another schedule established by the commissioner.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective for fiscal year 2019 and later.
new text end
Sec. 3.
Laws 2017, First Special Session chapter 5, article 8, section 9, subdivision 2, is
amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Program requirements.
A school readiness plus program provider must:
(1) assess each child's cognitive and language skills with a comprehensive child
assessment instrument when the child enters and again before the child leaves the program
to improve program planning and implementation, communicate with parents, and promote
kindergarten readiness;
(2) provide comprehensive program content and intentional instructional practice aligned
with the state early childhood learning guidelines and kindergarten standards and based on
early childhood research and professional practice that is focused on children's cognitive,
social, emotional, and physical skills and development and prepares children for the transition
to kindergarten, including early literacy and language skills;
(3) coordinate appropriate kindergarten transition with parents and kindergarten teachers;
(4) involve parents in program planning and decision making;
(5) coordinate with relevant community-based services;
(6) cooperate with adult basic education programs and other adult literacy programs;
(7) ensure staff-to-child ratios of one-to-ten and a maximum group size of 20 children
with deleted text begin at least one licenseddeleted text end new text begin the first staff required to be anew text end teacher;
(8) have teachers knowledgeable in early childhood curriculum content, assessment,
native and English language development programs, and instruction; and
(9) provide instructional content and activities that are of sufficient length and intensity
to address learning needs including offering a program with at least 350 hours of instruction
per school year.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 4.
Laws 2017, First Special Session chapter 5, article 8, section 9, subdivision 5, is
amended to read:
Subd. 5.
Application process; priority for high poverty schools.
(a) For 2017-2018
school year, a school district or charter school that did not apply to participate in a voluntary
prekindergarten program under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.151, may apply to the
commissioner by July 1, 2017, to participate in a school readiness plus program in the form
and manner specified by the commissioner. By June 15, 2017, the commissioner must notify
districts and charter schools of the availability of additional money for voluntary
prekindergarten and school readiness plus programs. A school district or charter school that
previously applied to participate in a voluntary prekindergarten program may amend its
application by July 1, 2017, to apply instead for school readiness plus. The commissioner
must review all applications for school readiness plus and notify applicant districts and
charter schools by August 1, 2017, whether they have been selected for participation.
(b) For the 2018-2019 school year, a school district or charter school may apply to the
commissioner by January 30, 2018, to participate in school readiness plus in the form and
manner specified by the commissioner. new text begin For fiscal year 2020 and later, a school district or
charter school may apply to the commissioner by January 30 of the previous fiscal year to
participate in school readiness plus in the form and manner specified by the commissioner.
new text end
(c) A district or charter school submitting an application under this section must include:
(1) a description of the proposed program, including the number of hours per week the
program will be offered at each school site or mixed-delivery location; (2) an estimate of
the number of eligible children to be served in the program at each school site or
mixed-delivery location; (3) the number of children being served that will be new to the
program; and (4) a statement of assurances signed by the superintendent or charter school
director that the proposed program meets the requirements of subdivision 2.
(d) The commissioner must award funding for school readiness plus programs across
school districts and charter schools in the same manner as for the voluntary prekindergarten
program.
(e) A school site or mixed-delivery site approved for aid under this subdivision remains
eligible for aid if the site continues to meet program requirements, regardless of changes in
the concentration of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end
Sec. 5.
Laws 2017, First Special Session chapter 5, article 8, section 10, subdivision 3, is
amended to read:
Subd. 3.
Mixed delivery prekindergarten programs.
(a) For mixed delivery
prekindergarten programs and school readiness plus programs:
| $ |
21,429,000 |
..... |
2018 |
|
| $ |
28,571,000 |
..... |
2019 |
(b) The fiscal year 2018 appropriation includes $0 for 2017 and $21,429,000 for 2018.
(c) The fiscal year 2019 appropriation includes $2,381,000 for 2018 and $26,190,000
for 2019.
new text begin
(d) The base for fiscal year 2020 and later is $29,100,000.
new text end
deleted text begin (d)deleted text end new text begin (e)new text end The commissioner must proportionately allocate the amounts appropriated in this
subdivision among each education funding program affected by the enrollment of mixed
delivery system prekindergarten pupils.
deleted text begin (e)deleted text end new text begin (f)new text end The appropriation under this subdivision is reduced by any other amounts
specifically appropriated for those purposes.
new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
new text begin
This section is effective July 1, 2018.
new text end