1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; allowing districts to establish 
  1.3             a flexible learning year program; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 1996, sections 120.60; 120.61; 120.65; 
  1.5             120.66; and 120.67. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.60, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      120.60 [DEFINITION OF FLEXIBLE LEARNING YEAR.] 
  1.10     "Flexible learning year program" means any district plan 
  1.11  approved by the state board of education which that utilizes 
  1.12  buildings and facilities during the entire year and/or which 
  1.13  provides forms of optional scheduling of pupils and personnel 
  1.14  during the learning year in elementary and secondary schools or 
  1.15  residential facilities for children with a disability.  
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.61, is 
  1.17  amended to read: 
  1.18     120.61 [ESTABLISHMENT OF FLEXIBLE LEARNING YEAR PROGRAM.] 
  1.19     The board of any district, with the approval of the state 
  1.20  board of education, may establish and operate a flexible 
  1.21  learning year program in one or more of the day or residential 
  1.22  facilities for children with a disability within the district.  
  1.23     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.65, is 
  1.24  amended to read: 
  1.25     120.65 [ESTABLISHMENT AND APPROVAL; ACCOUNTABILITY.] 
  2.1      The state board of education shall: 
  2.2      (1) establish standards and requirements for the 
  2.3   qualification of districts which may to operate on a flexible 
  2.4   learning year basis; 
  2.5      (2) establish standards and evaluation criteria for 
  2.6   flexible learning year programs consistent with state standards 
  2.7   on educational accountability and public reporting; and 
  2.8      (3) prepare and distribute all necessary forms for 
  2.9   application by any district for state authorization for a 
  2.10  flexible learning year program; 
  2.11     (4) review the proposed flexible learning year program of 
  2.12  any qualified district as to conformity to standards and the 
  2.13  evaluation of appropriateness of priorities, workability of 
  2.14  procedure and overall value; 
  2.15     (5) approve or disapprove proposed flexible learning year 
  2.16  programs.  
  2.17     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.66, is 
  2.18  amended to read: 
  2.19     120.66 [POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE STATE BOARD.] 
  2.20     Subdivision 1.  The state board of education shall: 
  2.21     (1) Promulgate rules necessary to the operation of sections 
  2.22  120.59 to 120.67; 
  2.23     (2) Cooperate with and provide supervision of supervise 
  2.24  flexible learning year programs to determine compliance with the 
  2.25  provisions of sections 120.59 to 120.67, and the state board 
  2.26  standards and qualifications, and the proposed program as 
  2.27  submitted and approved; 
  2.28     (3) Provide any necessary adjustments of (a) attendance and 
  2.29  membership computations and (b) the dates and percentages of 
  2.30  apportionment of state aids; 
  2.31     (4) Consistent with the definition of "average daily 
  2.32  membership" in section 124.17, subdivision 2, furnish the board 
  2.33  of a district implementing a flexible learning year program with 
  2.34  a formula for computing average daily membership.  This formula 
  2.35  shall be computed so that tax levies to be made by the district, 
  2.36  state aids to be received by the district, and any and all other 
  3.1   formulas based upon average daily membership are not affected 
  3.2   solely as a result of adopting this plan of instruction. 
  3.3      Subd. 2.  Sections 120.59 to 120.67 shall not be construed 
  3.4   to authorize the state board to require the establishment of a 
  3.5   flexible learning year program in any district in which the 
  3.6   board has not voted to establish, maintain, and operate such a 
  3.7   program. 
  3.8      Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 120.67, is 
  3.9   amended to read: 
  3.10     120.67 [TERMINATION OF PROGRAM.] 
  3.11     The board of any district, with the approval of the state 
  3.12  board of education, may terminate a flexible learning year 
  3.13  program in one or more of the day or residential facilities for 
  3.14  children with a disability within the district.  This section 
  3.15  shall not be construed to permit an exception to section 120.101 
  3.16  or 124.19.