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HF 3685

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 03/17/2010 10:41am

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.

Current Version - as introduced

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A bill for an act
relating to education finance; establishing a shared services grant program for
school districts and charter schools; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin SHARED SERVICES GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Eligibility. new text end

new text begin For fiscal years 2011 to 2013, a group of five or more
school districts or charter schools that have established a pilot program to collaboratively
share administrative or business services are eligible to receive shared services grants
under this section. To be eligible, a group of school districts or charter schools must have
entered into a joint powers agreement and formed a joint powers board, under Minnesota
Statutes, section 471.59, for the purposes of sharing administrative or business services.
For the purpose of this section, "school district" includes intermediate school districts.
For the purpose of this section, a charter school is considered a governmental unit for
the purposes of establishing a joint powers agreement with a school district or another
charter school.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Application. new text end

new text begin A group of eligible school districts or charter schools
must apply to the commissioner of education to receive a grant under this section. The
commissioner must establish an application deadline. The application must be signed by
every superintendent or charter school director that is participating in the shared service
group.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Plan. new text end

new text begin Eligible school districts or charter schools must develop a plan that
describes how the sharing of administrative or financial services between their group of
school districts or charter schools will operate. The plan must describe how combining
administrative or business services will promote improved service delivery, efficiency,
and economy of operation. The plan must identify how a grant award under this section
will improve the efforts to share services between school districts or charter schools that
are part of the plan. The plan must include a timeline for implementation and a process
of review and evaluation to establish the performance of the shared service plan. The
plan must establish a method for allocating the grant award between the group of school
districts and charter schools in the group.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Application evaluation; award. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must evaluate and
award grants to applicants based upon the plans submitted under subdivision 3. The
commissioner shall give preference to awarding grants to groupings of school districts or
charter schools that demonstrate the greatest opportunity for cost savings and efficiency.
The commissioner must not award grants to eligible school districts or charter schools
that do not include a process for review and evaluation. The commissioner shall give
preference to awarding grants to groups of school districts or charter schools that include
the use of a consultant or regional cooperative with expertise in shared services efforts to
assist in designing their shared services projects.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Savings. new text end

new text begin The savings generated for grant recipients must be shared
by all school districts and charter schools who participate in the shared services joint
powers agreement. The savings must be used to enhance educational quality and improve
teaching and learning. An amount not to exceed five percent of savings generated by the
shared services agreement may be allocated to pay for the services of a shared services
consultant. Grantees are encouraged to allocate a portion of the savings to pay for job
retraining and job placement services of dislocated personnel as a result of the shared
services pilot project.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must provide an annual status update to the
education finance committees of the senate and house of representatives by February 15 of
each year of the pilots and a final report by January 15, 2014, on how the collaborative
shared services administrative or business agreements promoted improved service
delivery, efficiency, and economy of operations of grant recipients. The commissioner
may require information from grant recipients to fulfill this reporting requirement.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sum indicated in this section is
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal year
indicated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Shared services grants. new text end

new text begin To make grants to eligible shared services
applicants:
new text end

new text begin $
new text end
new text begin 1,000,000
new text end
new text begin .....
new text end
new text begin 2011
new text end

new text begin No more than 25 percent of the amount appropriated may be granted to any single
group of school districts or charter schools. At least half of the appropriation must be
awarded to grantees located outside the seven-county metro area, under Minnesota
Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 2. The base appropriation for fiscal year 2012
and later is $0.
new text end