Legislative Session number- 83

Bill Name: SF2353

E Relating to education ARTICLE 1 � GENERAL EDUCATIONDefining kindergarten to
distinguish the difference in purpose +between kindergarten and prekindergarten
programs; clarifying the allocation +of basic skills revenue to area learning
centers and contract alternative +schools; clarifying school district
recognition of taconite revenue and the +calculation of on line (online)
learning average daily membership for students +enrolled in hybrid programs;
modifying the general education and transportation +revenue formulas for charter
schools, specifying the revenue or aid per +extended time marginal cost pupil
unit; modifying certain graduation incentive +program enrollment verification
requirements, excluding compensatory revenue +from the reduction requirement for
part time students; clarifying the formula +for aid for alternative programs
provided under contract; defining extended +time pupil units for use in certain
funding formulas; modifying the transition +revenue formula for school
districts, authorizing continued reporting of prekindergarten students as
kindergarten students by certain school +districts under the transition revenue
program; authorizing compensatory +revenue use to support prekindergarten
programs; clarifying the general education +aid reduction for school districts
receiving taconite aid reductions and +the levy reduction for taconite payments;
adjusting certain prior +appropriations to the commissioner of education for
general education aid to reflect a +certain forecast; creating a pilot program
to allow school districts to +allocate compensatory revenue to school sites
based on student performance +according to test scores ARTICLE 2 � EDUCATION
EXCELLENCERequiring and providing for the commissioner of education to develop
+a value added assessment program to assist public schools in assessing and
+reporting growth in student academic achievement; establishing the technology
+innovation grant program for school districts or charter or nonpublic schools
to+ purchase or lease wireless computers for secondary students; requiring the
+department of education to continue to implement the federal no child left
behind +act without interruption until a certain date, requiring commissioner
+nullification and revocation of the consolidated state plan on implementing the
act, +specifying certain reporting requirements and requiring a joint
legislative +resolution to continue implementation beyond the no interruption
date; clarifying +the payment of general education aid to charter schools,
adding a certain amount +based on extended time marginal cost pupil units to the
formula; requiring use+ of a certain amount of a certain prior appropriation to
the commissioner +for best practices seminars for a grant to the Minnesota
humanities +commission; extending the availability of a certain prior
appropriation to the +commissioner for alternative teacher compensation and
setting the base +appropriation for the program; requiring and providing for
commissioner grants to public +school sites to increase student achievement and
eliminate the achievement gap ARTICLE 3 � FACILITIES; NUTRITION; ACCOUNTING;
OTHER PROGRAMSExpanding the required use of positive unrestricted budgetary
general+ fund balances to the amount necessary to increase school district aids
and+ credits to a certain percentage and to eliminate all or a portion of the
+property tax revenue recognition shift, requiring the commissioner of finance
to +certify the total amount to the commissioner of education for the payment
+increases and property tax shift percentage reduction; increasing the number of
+days for school districts to repay advanced lines of credit payments;
+modifying or setting the debt service appropriations for certain fiscal years;
+increasing the state reimbursements for fully paid breakfasts and milk;
reducing+ the maximum effort debt service levy rate for school districts;
excluding+ bonds issued by school districts to pay pension fund liabilities from
net +debt limits; extending the garage lease levy authority of independent
+school district #748, Sartell; increasing certain prior appropriations to +the
commissioner of education for traditional school breakfast aid and +kindergarten
milk and for library basic system support grants and reducing a +certain prior
appropriation for regional library telecommunications aid; setting +the
appropriation base for certain fiscal years for certain forecasted +programs;
authorizing certain permanent fund transfers in independent school +districts
#51, Foley, #739, Kimball, #836, Butterfield, #2887. McLeod west, +#2180,
M.A.C.C.R.A.Y. and #116, Pillager and in intermediate school district+ #916,
Northeast Metro; authorizing independent school district #2580, East +Central to
sell the middle school building, requiring transfer of the sale +proceeds to the
commissioner of finance and forgiving the outstanding balance on a +certain
maximum effort capital loan to former independent school district +#566, Askov
after application of the proceeds; authorizing loans to and levies by+ school
districts owning Carpenter buses with potentially defective welds to +replace
the buses, general education aid reduction requirement; granting +supplemental
levy authority to school districts for certain specified uses; +requiring
commissioner tax base adjustments for independent school district +#599,
Fertile-Beltrami in offsetting levy adjustments between levy +categories;
providing telecommunications/Internet access equity aid to school +districts or
charter schools, specifying costs eligible and ineligible for +submittal to the
commissioner for reimbursement, requiring services to nonpublic +schools upon
request, severability clause; appropriating money to the department +for
internet access equity aid and for school bus loan revenueARTICLE 4 � AGENCIES
Requiring the governor to include in the 2006 and 2007 budget +recommendation to
the legislature a proposal for permanently funding a volunteer full +day
everyday kindergarten program available to school districts and +charter
schools; adjusting a certain prior appropriation to the department of+ education
for fiscal year 2005, prohibiting use of the appropriation for agency+ dues or
fees for membership in professional organizations and setting the +appropriation
base for the department for fiscal years 2006 and 2007; setting the
appropriation base for the Minnesota state academies for the deaf and+ blind and
for the Perpich center for arts education for fiscal year 2006-2007; +requiring
the director of the Perpich center for arts education to file with +the
commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) an +election to
provide retroactive unemployment insurance for certain unclassified
+positionsARTICLE 5 � KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 12 EDUCATION FORECAST
+ADJUSTMENTSAdjusting certain prior appropriations to the commissioner of
+education for referendum tax base replacement, abatement, consolidation
+transition, nonpublic pupil education and transportation, charter school
building+ lease and startup cost, integration, magnet school startup, tribal
contract +school, children with disabilities, teacher travel for home based
services, +special education excess cost and litigation, disabled students
transition, +health and safety, debt service equalization and school lunch aids,
court placed+ special education revenue and charter school integration and
American Indian +success for the future grants; requiring appropriations for
forecast programs+ to supersede appropriations for the same programs in certain
other +legislation (je, ja)