1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a school guidance 
  1.3             counselor to student ratio; appropriating money; 
  1.4             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.5             chapter 122A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [122A.34] [SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELORS.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR TO STUDENT 
  1.9   RATIOS.] (a) A school board must employ the number of school 
  1.10  guidance counselors needed so that the school guidance counselor 
  1.11  to student ratio by the end of the 2019-2020 school year does 
  1.12  not exceed:  one to 250 in grades 9 through 12; one to 350 in 
  1.13  grades 7 and 8; and one to 450 in kindergarten through grade 6. 
  1.14     (b) The commissioner shall develop guidelines for equitably 
  1.15  distributing available aid under subdivision 2 to all eligible 
  1.16  public schools throughout the state. 
  1.17     Subd. 2.  [SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR AID.] (a) A school 
  1.18  district is eligible for state aid for newly hired additional 
  1.19  guidance counselors.  In order to be eligible for aid, the 
  1.20  school district annually by October 1 must report to the 
  1.21  department of children, families, and learning its total 
  1.22  estimated salary expenses for guidance counselors for the 
  1.23  current year and its annual total salary costs for guidance 
  1.24  counselors for fiscal year 2001.  The district must adjust the 
  1.25  fiscal year 2001 guidance counselor salary cost by multiplying 
  2.1   it by the total package salary increases for the years since 
  2.2   2001. 
  2.3      (b) For fiscal years 2002 to 2010, school counselor aid 
  2.4   equals the greater of zero or 60 percent of the difference 
  2.5   between the current year's estimated salary cost and the 
  2.6   adjusted salary costs for fiscal year 2001. 
  2.7      (c) For fiscal years 2011 to 2016, school counselor aid 
  2.8   equals the greater of zero or 50 percent of the difference 
  2.9   between the current year's estimated salary cost and the 
  2.10  adjusted salary costs for fiscal year 2001. 
  2.11     (d) For fiscal years 2016 and later, school counselor aid 
  2.12  equals the greater of zero or 40 percent of the difference 
  2.13  between the current year's estimated salary cost and the 
  2.14  adjusted salary costs for fiscal year 2001. 
  2.15     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2001. 
  2.16     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.17     (a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund in 
  2.18  fiscal year 2002 to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  2.19  learning for school guidance counselor aid under Minnesota 
  2.20  Statutes, section 122A.34, subdivision 2. 
  2.21     (b) The commissioner shall make aid payments only to the 
  2.22  extent that appropriated funds are available.  
  2.23     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2001.