1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing for a trial placement at the Minnesota Academy 
1.3 	for the Deaf and the Minnesota Academy for the Blind;amending Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes 2008, section 125A.69, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 125A.69, subdivision 1, is amended to 
1.7 	read:
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Two kinds Admissions. There are two kinds of Admission to the 
1.9 	Minnesota State Academies is described in this section.
1.10 	(a) A pupil who is deaf, hard of hearing, or blind-deaf, may be admitted to the 
1.11 	Academy for the Deaf. A pupil who is blind or visually impaired, blind-deaf, or multiply 
1.12 	disabled may be admitted to the Academy for the Blind. For a pupil to be admitted, two 
1.13 	decisions must be made under sections 125A.03 to 125A.24 and 125A.65. 
1.14 	(1) It must be decided by the individual education planning team that education in 
1.15 	regular or special education classes in the pupil's district of residence cannot be achieved 
1.16 	satisfactorily because of the nature and severity of the deafness or blindness or visual 
1.17 	impairment respectively.
1.18 	(2) It must be decided by the individual education planning team that the academy 
1.19 	provides the most appropriate placement within the least restrictive alternative for the 
1.20 	pupil.
1.21 	(b) A deaf or hard of hearing child or a visually impaired pupil may be admitted to 
1.22 	get socialization skills or on a short-term basis for skills development.
1.23 	(c) A parent of a child who resides in Minnesota and who meets the disability criteria 
1.24 	for being deaf or hard-of-hearing, blind or visually impaired, or multiply disabled may 
2.1 	apply to place the child in the Minnesota State Academies. Academy staff must review 
2.2 	the application to determine whether the Minnesota State Academies is an appropriate 
2.3 	placement for the child. If academy staff determine that the Minnesota State Academies 
2.4 	is an appropriate placement, the staff must contact the child's resident school district 
2.5 	and invite the individualized education program team to participate in an individualized 
2.6 	education program meeting convened by academy staff to arrange a trial placement of 
2.7 	between 60 and 90 calendar days at the Minnesota State Academies. If the child's parent 
2.8 	consents to the trial placement, during the period of the trial placement the Minnesota 
2.9 	State Academies is the responsible serving school district and incur all due process 
2.10 	obligations under law and the child's resident school district is responsible for any 
2.11 	transportation included in the child's individualized education program. Before the trial 
2.12 	placement concludes, academy staff must convene an individualized education program 
2.13 	team meeting to determine whether to continue the child's placement at the Minnesota 
2.14 	State Academies or that another placement is appropriate. If the individualized education 
2.15 	program team and the parent are unable to agree on the child's placement, the child's 
2.16 	placement reverts to the placement in the child's individualized education program that 
2.17 	immediately preceded the trial placement.

2.18 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2010-2011 school year and 
2.19 	later.