HF 1147

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/06/2025 05:04 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to education; authorizing school-age care programs to provide services to
certain eligible prekindergarten students; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024,
section 124D.19, subdivision 11.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.19, subdivision 11, is amended to read:

Subd. 11.

School-age care programs.

(a) A school board may offer, as part of a
community education program, a school-age care program for new text begin eligible new text end children deleted text begin from
kindergarten through grade 6 deleted text end for the purpose of expanding students' learning opportunities.
If the school board chooses not to offer a school-age care program, it may allow an
appropriate insured community group, for profit entity new text begin , new text end or nonprofit organization to use
available school facilities for the purpose of offering a school-age care program. new text begin For the
purposes of this paragraph, "eligible children" includes children not yet enrolled in
kindergarten who meet the definition of a child with a disability under section 125A.02,
subdivision 1 or 1a; children not yet enrolled in kindergarten who are experiencing family
or related problems of a temporary nature; or children enrolled in the district in kindergarten
through grade 6.
new text end

(b) A school-age care program must include the following:

(1) adult supervised programs while school is not in session;

(2) parental involvement in program design and direction;

(3) partnerships with the kindergarten through grade 12 system, and other public, private,
or nonprofit entities;

(4) opportunities for trained secondary school pupils to work with younger children in
a supervised setting as part of a community service program; and

(5) access to available school facilities, including the gymnasium, sports equipment,
computer labs, and media centers, when not otherwise in use as part of the operation of the
school. The school district may establish reasonable rules relating to access to these facilities
and may require that:

(i) the organization request access to the facilities and prepare and maintain a schedule
of proposed use;

(ii) the organization provide evidence of adequate insurance to cover the activities to be
conducted in the facilities; and

(iii) the organization prepare and maintain a plan demonstrating the adequacy and training
of staff to supervise the use of the facilities.

(c) The district may charge a sliding fee based upon family income for school-age care
programs. The district may receive money from other public or private sources for the
school-age care program. The board of the district must develop standards for school-age
child care programs. The commissioner of education may not adopt rules for school-age
care programs.

(d) The district shall maintain a separate account within the community services fund
for all funds related to the school-age care program.

(e) A district is encouraged to coordinate the school-age care program with its special
education, vocational education, adult basic education, early childhood family education
programs, kindergarten through grade 12 instruction and curriculum services, youth
development and youth service agencies, and with related services provided by other
governmental agencies and nonprofit agencies.