1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a school site 
  1.3             pilot program.  
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [SCHOOL SITE PILOT PROGRAM.] 
  1.6      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A five-year school site 
  1.7   pilot program is established to provide schools with more local 
  1.8   authority and flexibility in teaching and providing services to 
  1.9   students at the school site.  To participate in the program, a 
  1.10  school must form a site decision-making team under Minnesota 
  1.11  Statutes, section 123B.04, subdivision 2.  
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [DUTIES; REVENUE.] (a) A school site 
  1.13  decision-making team participating in this program has all the 
  1.14  powers and duties of the school board and retains control of the 
  1.15  revenue and determines its use as necessary to operate the 
  1.16  school.  The school site decision-making team must enter into an 
  1.17  agreement with the school board describing any powers, duties, 
  1.18  authority, and responsibilities that the decision-making team 
  1.19  delegates to the school board.  Revenue for a fiscal year 
  1.20  received or receivable by the district and that the district 
  1.21  would expend for the particular school site participating in the 
  1.22  pilot program is allocated to that school site according to the 
  1.23  distribution of revenue under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  1.24  123B.77, subdivision 4.  All other district revenue not reserved 
  2.1   for other purposes must be proportionately allocated to the site 
  2.2   based on the site's pupil count.  The district must determine 
  2.3   the amount of revenue that is necessary for the particular 
  2.4   school site to operate in accordance with the current 
  2.5   kindergarten through grade 12 funding formulas.  Any power, 
  2.6   duty, authority, and responsibility not expressly delegated by 
  2.7   the decision-making team to the school board shall remain with 
  2.8   the school site decision-making team.  The district shall 
  2.9   maintain an account for each school site participating in the 
  2.10  pilot program.  
  2.11     (b) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a school site 
  2.12  participating in the pilot program under this section may 
  2.13  legally enter into a contract and expend funds as if it were a 
  2.14  school district.  Any contract entered into by the school site 
  2.15  may not exceed the duration of the school site's participation 
  2.16  in the pilot program.  
  2.17     Subd. 3.  [EMPLOYEES.] The employees of the school site 
  2.18  remain employees of the school district for salary, benefits, 
  2.19  seniority, retirement, and other personnel issues, except that, 
  2.20  notwithstanding any law or agreement to the contrary, the school 
  2.21  site decision-making team determines who is hired or transferred 
  2.22  within the district into licensed and nonlicensed positions at 
  2.23  the school site.  
  2.24     Subd. 4.  [REPORTS.] (a) A school site decision-making team 
  2.25  and school board each shall make a preliminary report to the 
  2.26  commissioner of children, families, and learning and the 
  2.27  legislative committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten 
  2.28  through grade 12 education by the October 15 immediately 
  2.29  following the end of the third school year and a final report by 
  2.30  the October 15 immediately following the end of the fifth school 
  2.31  year.  The reports shall be consistent with assessments required 
  2.32  in district reporting to the state and include, at least, an 
  2.33  evaluation of the program, its educational impact, and 
  2.34  cost-effectiveness.  
  2.35     (b) The commissioner of children, families, and learning 
  2.36  shall evaluate the effectiveness of the program by January 1, 
  3.1   2010, after receiving all final reports from schools and school 
  3.2   boards participating in the pilot program and recommend to the 
  3.3   legislative committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten 
  3.4   through grade 12 education whether the program should be 
  3.5   continued.  
  3.6      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2003, 
  3.7   and applies to the 2004-2005 through 2008-2009 school years.