Providing for the funding of early childhood and family and +prekindergarten through grade 12 education programs and services ARTICLE 1 � GENERAL EDUCATIONEliminating certain instructional hours requirements of area learning+ centers and education districts; modifying the calculation of referendum +revenue for certain reorganized school districts; modifying certain school bus +safety training and policy requirements; expanding the definitions of +regular and excess transportation relating to nonresident pupils for +transportation aid entitlement purposes; clarifying the responsibility of school +districts enrolling nonresident pupils in alternative attendance programs to +provide transportation to the pupils; modifying the nonpublic pupil +transportation aid formula and the formula for payments to post-secondary institutions +under the enrollment options (PSEO) program, requiring a certain formula +allowance reduction; attributing learning year program revenue occurring after +the close of the 2003-2004 school year to 2004; modifying the definition of +pupil of limited English proficiency and the revenue formula for LEP programs +aid; reducing kindergarten and elementary pupil weights; modifying the +determination of average daily membership and the formula for computing pupil units+ for prior years; accelerating the date for school districts to count children +eligible for free or reduced price lunches; modifying the general education +revenue formula, providing for extended time and class size reduction +revenue; modifying the compensatory education revenue formula; increasing the +LEP concentration aid formula for basic skills revenue determination +purposes; reducing the transportation sparsity revenue allowance; increasing +the equity revenue formula and providing equity levy and aid formulas; +establishing transition revenue, levy and aid formulas; expanding the general +education aid formula; modifying the operating referendum allowance formula, +increasing the referendum allowance limit and referendum equalization revenue and +aid formulas and clarifying the referendum revenue formula; modifying referendum equalization aid; authorizing school districts to convert transition +revenue to referendum revenue with voter approval; making permanent the career +and technical levy; exempting type III school buses from the requirement +to stop at railroad grade crossings; expanding certain school bus standards +certification requirements; eliminating certain school bus driver evaluation +requirements; requiring a certain reduction in the inflation adjustments for +nonpublic pupil textbooks, instructional materials and standardized tests; requiring +the commissioner of education to develop for the kindergarten through +grade 12 task force on school finance reform a plan recognizing and financially +rewarding outstanding schools and students demonstrating excellence in +education and achievement; appropriating money to the department of education for +general education and referendum tax base replacement aids, for enrollment +options transportation, for abatement, consolidation transition, nonpublic +pupil and nonpublic pupil transportation aids and for grants to independent +school district #2190, Yellow Medicine East for tornado impact declining +enrollment aid and to independent school districts #241, Albert Lea, #2711, +Mesabi East and #682, Roseau for declining pupil aid; repealing the staff +development program and the basic revenue reserve, certain adjustments to +consolidation referendum levy computation, supplemental revenue and reorganized +districts aid deductions, certain obsolete provisions, the learning and development+ revenue and additional class size, all day kindergarten and special education+ reserves, the tree growth levy, the requirement for the department to +recalculate certain tax rates and the airport runway impact zone aid program for +independent school district #280, Richfield ARTICLE 2 � EDUCATION EXCELLENCE Modifying a certain reporting requirement of school district +superintendents relating to compliance with compulsory instruction requirements; +eliminating the annual school board calendar additional student instruction or +staff development days requirement; "American Heritage Education in +Minnesota Public schools Act", requiring school districts to develop and establish +policies to assure student access to founding documents contributing to +understanding the principles, character and world view of the founders of the country; +requiring and providing for recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the +American flag in public and charter schools; eliminating the authority of the +department of education to assist nonpublic schools participating in school +district sexually transmitted infections and diseases programs at neutral sites; +requiring school districts complying with the program requirements to provide +curriculum on and instruction in abstinence until marriage; establishing notice +requirements for student surveys and similar instruments; providing for direct +judicial review of school district student exclusion and expulsion decisions under +the pupil fair dismissal act and authorizing school districts in student +discipline policies to provide for the assignment of students to area learning +centers or to provide other alternative educational services; modifying the +notice requirements relating to the placement in classrooms of students with+ histories of violent behavior, requiring advance notice and authorizing certain discussions between school board members and exclusive +representatives of teachers; specifying certain reporting requirements of school +districts and sites participating in the alternative teacher compensation program +and modifying the payment of alternative compensation aid; changing the +name of the Minnesota Indian scholarship committee to the American Indian +education committee; providing for the right of school boards to unilaterally +contract or subcontract for noninstructional services, exception; providing for +school sponsorship and advertising revenue; authorizing certain contracts; +authorizing school boards to charge fees to charters schools for the costs of +transporting charter school students to extracurricular activities; requiring the +boards to allow resident charter school students to participate in +extracurricular activities, authorizing the charging of certain costs to the charter +schools; expanding the provision authorizing parents or guardians of students +to voluntarily surrender to and from school transportation privileges; +requiring the placement of first grade preparedness revenue in a reserve +account and restricting use of the revenue to the programs at qualifying school +sites; clarifying certain provisions under the post-secondary enrollment +options (PSEO) program and enacting the "Distance Education Option Act"; +modifying certain charter school provisions relating to the advisory council, +nonprofit corporation sponsorship, expansion, student transportation, teacher +leaves of absence and the payment of revenue and aid; authorizing youthworks +programs to train participants in evaluating early literacy skills and teaching +reading to preschool children to assist local head start organizations in +establishing and evaluating head start programs; modifying certain integration +revenue, levy and aid provisions; establishing the average daily membership for +students participating in the distance education program and the formula for +distance education aid; modifying the safe schools levy formula; providing for+ the use of certain older pools for supervised competitive high school diving;+ requiring primaries in school district elections under certain conditions; +eliminating a certain evaluation and reporting requirement of independent +contractors evaluating school academic and financial performance; providing for +staggered terms for members of the charter school advisory board; establishing +a pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of combining a care and +treatment facility with a charter school (Northwood children's services); +authorizing and providing for school boards to develop and implement pilot projects +to evaluate parental involvement policies and strategies; requiring the +commissioner of education to study the efficacy of the American Indian success for +the future program and report to the legislature by a certain date; eliminating +start up aid for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 for certain charter schools; +requiring certain alternative attendance adjustments for certain integration +aid paid to special school district #1, Minneapolis and independent school +districts # 625, St. Paul and #709, Duluth; requiring and providing for the +development of a policy on students with a history of violent behavior; appropriating+ money to the department for charter school building lease and startup aids and integration grants, for integration aid, for magnet school grants and+ startup aid, for interdistrict desegregation or integration transportation +grants, for American Indian success for the future and teacher preparation grants+ and scholarships, for tribal contract schools and early childhood +programs, for statewide testing support, for seventh grade testing, for best +practices seminars, for school performance evaluation, for alternative teacher compensation, for advanced placement (AP) and international +baccalaureate (IB) examination fees and teacher training and support programs, for first+ grade preparedness grants, for youth works programs, for student +organizations and for distance education; specifying certain codification instructions +to the revisor of statutes; repealing the teachers of color, minority +teacher incentives and summer cultural exchange grant programs, the American +Indian scholarship committee, the right to appeal student exclusion or +expulsion decisions to the commissioner and the teacher contract settlement +deadline and state aid penalty ARTICLE 3 � SPECIAL PROGRAMSExpanding the personnel required to attend meetings relating to the +expulsion of students with disabilities from school; requiring school districts+ and cooperative centers to report career and technical education programs+ data to the department of education; modifying the purposes and defining +essential personnel under the transition system for children with disabilities;+ expanding the calculation of transition disabled program base revenue to +include the salaries of approved paraprofessionals; restricting the payment of +career and technical education aid by the commissioner of education to services +provided and costs incurred by essential licensed personnel; requiring and +providing for alternative dispute resolution and due process hearings with parent +involvement relating to the requirement for school districts to provide special +instruction and services for children with disabilities, requiring certain rules;+ extending the expiration date of the state interagency coordinating council; +expanding membership representation requirements and duties of interagency +early intervention committees; reducing the program growth factors for +special education and special education excess cost aids determination +purposes, increasing the state total special education aid and setting the +state total special education excess cost aid amounts; providing for special +education cross subsidy reduction aid to school districts; establishing a +special education pilot project to determine the impact of exempting school +districts from certain state special education requirements, providing program availability to independent school district #535, Rochester and a +certain number of geographically distributed school districts or cooperative +units to be selected by the commissioner; appropriating money to the +department of education for special education, cross subsidy reduction and excess +cost aids, for aids for children with disabilities, travel for home based +services and transition programs, for litigation costs, for court placed special +education revenue and for out of state tuition costs; repealing certain +intervention demonstration projects proposal for interagency intervention +demonstration projects, procedures for identification, assessment and placement of +children with disabilities, a certain obsolete data collection plan +development requirement and the special education excess cost aid calculation +formula for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 ARTICLE 4 � FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGYExpanding the authority of school boards to lease property;prohibiting school districts from requiring contractors or +subcontractors not under an agreement with a labor organization from requiring the +fulfillment of certain labor organization requirements as a condition of performing +work; excluding alternative facilities levies from the second tier debt +service equalization revenue formula and certain large projects from health +and safety revenue eligibility, placing the projects under the alternative +facilities bonding and levy program; reducing the health and safety levy limit; +expanding the authorized uses of health and safety revenue and prohibiting use +for replacement of building materials or facilities; providing for +limited participation in the alternative facilities bonding and levy program +for certain school districts, specifying certain long term plan +requirements; specifying certain published notice requirements for bond issuance +purposes, granting school districts not issuing bonds certain levy authority +and eliminating the requirement to reduce levies by the amount of +alternative facilities aid received; modifying the building construction down +payment program, providing for capital project referendum accounts and +levies; providing for the expiration of the education telecommunications +council; reducing certain limits on building or land lease levies; modifying +certain provisions under the maximum effort school aid law relating to levies+ and expanding eligibility for capital loans; setting the excess revenue +target for school district debt service levies and eliminating the requirement +for the commissioner of education to report excess debt redemption fund +balances to county auditors; granting independent school district #621, Mounds +View certain bond issuance authority; authorizing the Anoka-Hennepin school +district to continue to levy to repay the bonds issued by the county for the +secondary technical education program (STEP); authorizing independent school +district #15, St. Francis to redirect the proceeds from the sale of certain +school property for creation or improvement of safe walking routes for +students; requiring the commissioner to develop for the task force on school +finance reform a report examining the issue of facility maintenance or +renovation exceeding the cost of replacement; appropriating money to the +department of education for health and safety revenue and for debt service +equalization and alternative facilities bonding aids; repealing the school district +grant program for regional clearinghouses for improving education +technology and alternative facilities aid beginning with fiscal year 2005 ARTICLE 5 � NUTRITION; SCHOOL ACCOUNTING; OTHER PROGRAMS Eliminating the state aid penalty from a certain provision +authorizing the commissioner of education to close schools; modifying the +apportionment of consolidated conservation area funds received by counties, requiring +allocation of a certain percentage to the general fund of the school district in+ lieu of the capital outlay fund; reducing the payment of aids to school +districts and charter schools, providing additional payments to school districts +for certain later fiscal years; establishing a new school breakfast program; +modifying the reimbursement to schools for milk served to kindergarten students; +increasing the statutory operating debt levy formula; modifying the unemployment insurance, judgment payment and ice arena levies; clarifying the +responsibility of school districts enrolling nonresident pupils in alternative +attendance programs to provide transportation to the pupils; increasing the net +debt limit for special school district #1, Minneapolis; modifying the authority of school districts to levy for unemployment insurance costs, the reservation requirement relating to+ the receipt of taconite tax proceeds and the treatment of certain surplus+ funds used to reduce certain levies and aids; increasing the net tax +capacity rate for the severance levy by independent school district #625, St. Paul; appropriating money to +the department of education for school lunch, traditional school +breakfast and kindergarten milk, fast break to learning breakfast and summer school+ service replacement aids; specifying a certain codification instruction to +the revisor of statutes; repealing taconite lease revenue and the school fund +minerals suspense account, the school fund mineral lease suspense account and +the current school breakfast and fast break to learning programs ARTICLE 6 � LIBRARIESTemporarily reducing the support percentage requirement for cities +and counties to qualify for regional library basic system support grants; +appropriating money to the department of education for basic system support, +multicounty multitype library systems grants and for the electronic library for +Minnesota (statewide licenses to certain online databases) ARTICLE 7 � EARLY CHILDHOOD FAMILY SUPPORTSpecifying certain work plan preparation and submittal requirements +of head start grantees and eliminating the authority of grantees to use a +certain percentage of grant funds for innovative programs; specifying an +early childhood family education programming emphasis priority for younger +children in insufficient funding cases, encouraging the referral of parents to+ certain other programs for older preschoolers; eliminating certain +requirements under the home visiting program; expanding certain ECFE programs +coordination requirements, providing for the employment of professionals licensed +in fields related to health, child development or parent education supervised +by licensed teachers; reducing ECFE revenue and modifying the reserve account +limit; expanding membership representation requirements on school readiness +program advisory councils to local early intervention committees and +modifying certain program plan content and review requirements and the reserve account +limit; requiring the commissioner of education to study the redistribution +of early childhood program providers to effectively serve low income children +and report findings and recommendations to the legislature by a certain date; appropriating money to the department of education for school +readiness and head start programs and for ECFE and health and development screening+ aids; repealing the way to grow/school readiness program ARTICLE 8 � PREVENTIONTransferring the authority for approval of school board use of nonlicensed community education directors from the commissioner of +education to the Minnesota board of school administrators; reducing the general +community education revenue allowance; modifying the total community education +levy; establishing a reserve account limit for school districts, providing +for waiver of the limit by the commissioner under certain conditions; reducing +the school age care levy; appropriating money to the department of education for+ community education and adults with disabilities program aids, for hearing +impaired adults and abused children programs and for school age care revenue; +repealing violence prevention education grants, the community education +grandfather levy, after school enrichment grants, the Minnesota local partnership +program and the transfer of community prevention grants for federal drug free schools+ from the department of children, families and learning to the department of +health ARTICLE 9 � SELF-SUFFIENCY AND LIFE LONG LEARNINGAuthorizing school boards or consortia governing bodies offering +adult basic education programs to adopt a sliding fee schedule for program costs +payment purposes, requiring waiver under certain conditions; specifying +certain reserve account requirements; authorizing ABE consortia providing approved +adult basic education programs to serve as fiscal agent for the consortia and +entitling the consortia to state aid payments directly from the commissioner of +education; increasing the state total adult basic education aid amount and +eliminating the formula; reducing the basic population aid formula and modifying +adult basic education program aid limits; eliminating certain program audit +requirements; authorizing requests for extension of the deadline for application +for approval of adult basic education programs for fiscal year 2004 by certain +school districts or consortia and adjusting the attendance hours for +students participating in programs funded with adult graduation aid; +establishing ABE transition aid for fiscal year 2004; appropriating money to the +department of education for adult basic education and education transition and +adult graduation aids, for GED tests and for family assets for +independence; repealing the financial arrangements for adults under the +post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO) act, adult high school graduation aid and +the adult pupils average daily membership computation formula ARTICLE 10 � STATE AGENCIESChanging the name of the department of children, families and +learning (CFL) back to the department of education and making conforming changes to+ certain statutory provisions; authorizing the board of teaching to grant +annual waivers to licensed teachers teaching in alternative school programs to allow+ the teachers to instruct students in nonlicensed content areas to enable +school districts to meet the needs of students enrolled in the programs; +increasing the membership of the board of school administrators; requiring the +board of teaching to issue lifetime qualified short call substitute teaching +licenses to certain retired teachers, specifying certain conditions for +eligibility, authorizing teachers holding the licenses to reapply to the board for+ a continuing teaching license, allowing a certain period of time before completion of the required continuing education hours; setting the +fee for issuance, renewal or extension of teacher licenses; eliminating the +duplicative teacher license filing requirement with the employing school district superintendent, authorizing school districts or charter schools +contracting with teachers to verify the qualifications of the teacher through the Minnesota education licensing system available on+ the web site of the department; eliminating the commissioner of education +from consultation requirements with the commissioner of public safety in +the preparation of youth oriented driver improvement clinic standards; +making a technical correction in the membership of the apprenticeship advisory+ council; requiring the office of the legislative auditor to by a certain date +submit to the legislature a detailed financial analysis and report on the total+ amount of projected additional costs associated with compliance with the +federal no child left behind act of 2001; appropriating money to the department for +fiscal years -2005, for federal grants and aids, for the state academies and + for the Perpich center for arts education; specifying certain renumbering and+ term and reference change instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing +the curriculum development task force, school bus safety week, the MN +designation in school bus body serial numbers, the requirement for the +commissioner to develop and implement a plan of public education about the metric +system and certain obsolete rules relating to teacher duty free lunches, student transportation, services for the blind and physically disabled, the +school lunch and capital loan programs, civil defense, cooperative secondary facilities grants and the training and experience index ARTICLE 11 � DEFICIENCIES Appropriating money to the department of education for deficiencies +in community and general and supplemental education, nonpublic pupil, consolidation transition and debt service aids interdistrict +desegregation or integration transportation grants, travel for home based services and+ the school breakfast and fast break to learning programs ARTICLE 12 � TECHNICAL AMEMDMENTSMaking technical corrections to certain provisions relating to the +definition of transition year families for child care assistance eligibility +purposes, school health services by licensed school nurses, teachers +probationary period under the tenure act, the general authority of school boards, school +facilities heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems installation+ or retrofitting, advertising on school buses, terminating the enrollment+ of nonresident students under the enrollment options program, the +definition of eligible institution under the post-secondary enrollment options +(PSEO) act, the length of the charter school year and charter school property +leasing, special instruction and services for children with disabilities, the +definition of the metropolitan area equity region for general education revenue computation purposes, the authority of the commissioner of education +to adopt administrative rules, the payment of certain aids to school districts+ and school bus safety; repealing a certain obsolete aids reduction +requirement and certain amended language of certain repealed provisions relating to +the establishment of a statewide school district telecommunications +network and the advisory committees for the library for the blind and physically +handicapped and state multicultural education ARTICLE 13 � ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDSRepealing and replacing the profile of learning; prohibiting the +commissioner of education from implementing the profile of learning portions of +the results oriented graduation rule and rules relating to the profile; requiring+ the commissioner to consider advice from certain stakeholders in +developing statewide rigorous core academic standards in English, mathematics, +science and history and geography, specifying the parameters and requiring the +commissioner to present to the legislature proposed rules for implementing the +standards; requiring school districts to incorporate into existing locally +established graduation requirements the state graduation requirements premised on+ the rules, providing an interim alternative; authorizing the commissioner+ to adopt rules establishing criteria for identifying, annually reviewing and +formally listing eligible supplemental education service providers consistent +with applicable federal requirements and state application for +supplemental education service providers under the federal no child left behind +act (ra)