1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; creating a task force
1.3 	to study section-based school finance formulas.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. SECTION-BASED FUNDING TASK FORCE.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Task force. The commissioner of education
1.7 	shall convene a task force to conduct a study of the benefits of
1.8 	funding Minnesota schools based on funding sections of course
1.9 	offerings rather than the pupil-based finance system currently
1.10 	utilized in Minnesota.  The study shall consider the benefits of
1.11 	a course-based finance system to address declining enrollment
1.12 	issues in Minnesota school districts.
1.13 		Subd. 2.Membership. The task force shall be comprised
1.14 	of 15 members of experts in school finance.  Five members each
1.15 	shall be appointed by the commissioner, the chair of the house
1.16 	Education Finance Division, and the chair of the senate K-12
1.17 	Education Budget Division.
1.18 		Subd. 3.Consultant. The commissioner may contract with
1.19 	a private vendor to provide the task force with technical
1.20 	expertise in education finance and other assistance that the
1.21 	commissioner deems necessary.
1.22 		Subd. 4.Report. The task force shall present a report
1.23 	to the house Education Finance Division and the senate K-12
1.24 	Education Budget Division by January 15, 2007.  The report shall
2.1 	examine benefits of a course-based finance system for Minnesota
2.2 	and outline important issues for the legislature to consider
2.3 	related to transitioning from Minnesota's current pupil-based
2.4 	finance system to a course-based system.