4E Relating to education

ARTICLE 1 - GENERAL EDUCATION

Modifying the conditions for pupils 21 years of age to receive free enrollment in public schools, specifying conditions; modifying the alternative teacher compensation revenue formula; modifying requirements for students to participate in the graduation incentives program; specifying requirements for pupils enrolling in a contract alternative school; removing charter schools from the definitions of high school and primary school under general education revenue; establishing transition for prekindergarten revenue for 2007 and later; authorizing school boards by referendum to annually increase the operating revenue by the rate of inflation; requiring unemployment (reemployment) unused balances to be returned to taxpayers through levy reduction; clarifying use of the safe schools levy and including in district levy limitations; allowing the commissioner of education to make advance state paid tax credits for debt service

ARTICLE 2 - EDUCATION EXCELLENCE

Requiring school districts to send written notice to parents of student removal from school for failure to meet residency requirements and requiring school districts to allow parental opportunity to provide residential documentary evidence; including in the academic standards waiver advanced placement and international baccalaureate programs; changing the benchmark review cycle and requirements; changing graduation requirements; allowing agriculture science course to fulfill science credit; modifying provisions relating to state reimbursement for college level examination program (CLEP) fees; modifying the crisis management model policy; requiring school safety drills; requiring the commissioner to develop a school district consolidated financial statement format; requiring charter school students to be in compliance with student bus conduct and policies of the transporting district; permitting school districts to designate school day care facilities to receive transportation aid; modifying certain on line learning requirements and the aid formula; modifying requirements for charter school transportation notification and preliminary payment requirements for charter schools ceasing operations; requiring charter school balances upon closure returned to state; modifying the general program requirements for students with limited English proficiency (LEP); expanding graduation incentives program eligibility and contract alternative school eligibility to children with blindness under the special education disability definition; modifying the fire drill requirement; requiring teachers to apply for training scholarships in preparation for teaching in the advanced placement or international baccalaureate programs; requiring the commissioner of education to incorporate references to blind and blindness into the definition of visually impaired and amend rule titles; allowing the commissioner to delay the school accountability report (school performance report card); authorizing school districts to develop pilot programs to implement comprehensive character development education; establishing an advisory task force on school and staff emergency all/hazard preparedness, specifying topics for the task force to address, determining the makeup of the commission

ARTICLE 3 - SPECIAL EDUCATION

Clarifying special instruction requirements for nonresident children receiving special instruction and services outside the regular classroom; including certain special education fiscal agents in the list of cooperative special education service providers eligible for a waiver; modifying the definition of general education revenue and referendum aid; modifying provisions relating to placement of students in residential facilities licensed by the departments of human services and corrections, clarifying entitlement to regular and special education services; requiring the commissioner to establish an advisory committee for the resource centers for the deaf and hard of hearing and the blind or visually impaired, reporting requirement by the advisory committee; modifying the special education travel aid formula, general revenue and total qualifying referendum revenue under excess cost aid; clarifying the allocation of agency responsibility for assessing or investigating reports of maltreatment; providing for special education forecast maintenance of effort; exempting intermediate districts from the uniform special education tuition billing calculations and permitting billing resident school districts; repealing coordinating interagency services for children with special needs

ARTICLE 4 - FACILITIES, ACCOUNTING, AND TECHNOLOGY

Modifying school board financial information publication requirements,
authorizing web site publication; modifying levy recognition provisions; providing for distribution of aid for discontinued programs without appropriations; clarifying current year aid payment percentage; exempting nonpublic schools from certain requirements for the timely payment of wages

ARTICLE 5 - STATE AGENCIES

Requiring student residency to claim general education revenue for attendance at academies for the deaf and blind, specifying exceptions; increasing special education aid paid to academies and district for residency and requiring the commissioner of education to make fund adjustment; requiring certain academies deposit and reporting requirements, requiring out of state monies to be deposited in the special education fund

ARTICLE 6 - EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVISIONS

Modifying head start program provisions; specifying head start application
requirements; repealing certain definitions; including relatives as part of ECFE programs; repealing a certain head start definition

ARTICLE 7 - TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS

Making technical and conforming changes
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