SF 2295

Introduction - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002)

Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00 a.m.

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing an education 
  1.3             alternative to smaller school districts; appropriating 
  1.4             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 
  1.5             123A.64; 124D.10, subdivision 1; and 124D.11, 
  1.6             subdivision 1. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 123A.64, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     123A.64 [DUTY TO MAINTAIN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY 
  1.11  SCHOOLS.] 
  1.12     Each district must maintain classified elementary and 
  1.13  secondary schools, grades 1 through 12, unless the district is 
  1.14  exempt according to section 123A.61 or 123A.62, has made an 
  1.15  agreement with another district or districts as provided in 
  1.16  sections 123A.30, 123A.32, or sections 123A.35 to 123A.43, or 
  1.17  123A.17, subdivision 7, or has received a grant under sections 
  1.18  123A.441 to 123A.446, or enrolls 400 or fewer students in grades 
  1.19  1 through 12 and uses a project-based learning model in one or 
  1.20  more charter schools located in the district.  A district that 
  1.21  has an agreement according to sections 123A.35 to 123A.43 or 
  1.22  123A.32 must operate a school with the number of grades required 
  1.23  by those sections.  A district that has an agreement according 
  1.24  to section 123A.30 or 123A.17, subdivision 7, or has received a 
  1.25  grant under sections 123A.441 to 123A.446 must operate a school 
  1.26  for the grades not included in the agreement, but not fewer than 
  2.1   three grades.  A district that enrolls 400 or fewer students in 
  2.2   grades 1 through 12 and uses a project-based learning model in 
  2.3   one or more charter schools located in that district must 
  2.4   operate a school with the number of grades required under 
  2.5   section 124D.10, subdivision 8.  
  2.6      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.10, 
  2.7   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.8      Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSES.] (a) The purpose of this section 
  2.9   is to: 
  2.10     (1) improve pupil learning; 
  2.11     (2) increase learning opportunities for pupils; 
  2.12     (3) encourage the use of different and innovative teaching 
  2.13  methods; 
  2.14     (4) require the measurement of learning outcomes and create 
  2.15  different and innovative forms of measuring outcomes; 
  2.16     (5) establish new forms of accountability for schools; or 
  2.17     (6) create new professional opportunities for teachers, 
  2.18  including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning 
  2.19  program at the school site. 
  2.20     (b) This section does not provide a means to keep open a 
  2.21  school in a district enrolling more than 400 students in grades 
  2.22  1 through 12 that otherwise would be closed.  Applicants in 
  2.23  these circumstances bear the burden of proving that conversion 
  2.24  to a charter school fulfills a purpose specified in this 
  2.25  subdivision, independent of the school's closing. 
  2.26     (c) The school board of a district enrolling 400 or fewer 
  2.27  students in grades 1 through 12 that decides to convert the 
  2.28  learning program in one or more schools to a project-based 
  2.29  learning model may keep open as a charter school under this 
  2.30  section the school that otherwise would be closed without 
  2.31  proving that conversion to the charter school fulfills a purpose 
  2.32  specified in this subdivision, independent of the school's 
  2.33  closing. 
  2.34     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.11, 
  2.35  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.36     Subdivision 1.  [GENERAL EDUCATION REVENUE.] (a) General 
  3.1   education revenue must be paid to a charter school as though it 
  3.2   were a district.  The general education revenue for each 
  3.3   adjusted marginal cost pupil unit is the state average general 
  3.4   education revenue per pupil unit, plus the charter school 
  3.5   referendum equalization aid allowance in the pupil's district of 
  3.6   residence, minus an amount equal to the product of the formula 
  3.7   allowance according to section 126C.10, subdivision 2, times 
  3.8   .0485, calculated without basic skills revenue, transportation 
  3.9   sparsity revenue, and the transportation portion of the 
  3.10  transition revenue adjustment, plus basic skills revenue as 
  3.11  though the school were a school district. 
  3.12     (b) For the purposes of paragraph (a), "charter school 
  3.13  referendum allowance" means the total referendum revenue 
  3.14  allowance for pupils enrolled in a charter school in a district 
  3.15  that enrolls 400 or fewer pupils in grades 1 through 12 and uses 
  3.16  a project-based learning program.  For pupils enrolled in all 
  3.17  other charter schools, "charter school referendum allowance" 
  3.18  means the referendum equalization aid allowance. 
  3.19     (c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), for charter schools in 
  3.20  the first year of operation, general education revenue shall be 
  3.21  computed using the number of adjusted pupil units in the current 
  3.22  fiscal year.  
  3.23     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.24     $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2002 from the 
  3.25  general fund to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  3.26  learning for grants to school districts to plan and implement 
  3.27  project-based learning programs.  The commissioner shall 
  3.28  establish criteria for a grant.  Grant recipients must make 
  3.29  reports on progress made, planning, and implementing programs in 
  3.30  the form and manner specified by the commissioner.  This 
  3.31  appropriation is available until June 30, 2003.