HF 525

1st Engrossment - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/04/2019 04:05pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying the calculation of the pupil transportation
adjustment; providing for a pupil transportation working group; requiring a report;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 126C.10, subdivision 18a.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 126C.10, subdivision 18a, is amended to read:

Subd. 18a.

Pupil transportation adjustment.

(a) An independent, common, or special
school district's transportation sparsity revenue under subdivision 18 is increased by the
greater of zero or deleted text begin 18.2 deleted text end new text begin ... new text end percent of the difference between:

(1) the lesser of the district's total cost for regular and excess pupil transportation under
section 123B.92, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), including depreciation, for the previous fiscal
year or 105 percent of the district's total cost for the second previous fiscal year; and

(2) the sum of:

(i) 4.66 percent of the district's basic revenue for the previous fiscal year;

(ii) transportation sparsity revenue under subdivision 18 for the previous fiscal year;
and

(iii) the district's charter school transportation adjustment for the previous fiscal year.

(b) A charter school's pupil transportation adjustment equals the school district per pupil
adjustment under paragraph (a).

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue in fiscal year 2020 and later.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin PUPIL TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin (a) A working group on pupil transportation is created to review
pupil transportation and transportation efficiencies in Minnesota, to consult with stakeholders,
and to submit a written report to the legislature recommending policy and formula changes.
The pupil transportation working group must examine and consider:
new text end

new text begin (1) how school districts, charter schools, intermediate school districts, special education
cooperatives, education districts, and service cooperatives deliver pupil transportation
services and the costs associated with each model;
new text end

new text begin (2) relevant state laws and rules;
new text end

new text begin (3) trends in pupil transportation services;
new text end

new text begin (4) strategies or programs that would be effective in funding necessary pupil
transportation services; and
new text end

new text begin (5) the effect of the elimination of categorical funding for pupil transportation services.
new text end

new text begin (b) In making its recommendations, the pupil transportation working group must consider
a ten-year strategic plan informed by the policy findings in paragraph (a) to help make pupil
transportation funding more fair.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Members. new text end

new text begin (a) By June 1, 2019, the executive director of each of the following
organizations must appoint one representative of that organization to serve as a member of
the working group:
new text end

new text begin (1) the Minnesota School Boards Association;
new text end

new text begin (2) the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools;
new text end

new text begin (3) Education Minnesota;
new text end

new text begin (4) the Minnesota Rural Education Association;
new text end

new text begin (5) the Association of Metropolitan School Districts;
new text end

new text begin (6) the Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation;
new text end

new text begin (7) the Minnesota School Bus Operators Association;
new text end

new text begin (8) the Minnesota Association of School Administrators;
new text end

new text begin (9) the Minnesota Association of School Business Officials;
new text end

new text begin (10) Schools for Equity in Education;
new text end

new text begin (11) Service Employees International Union Local 284;
new text end

new text begin (12) the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals;
new text end

new text begin (13) the Minnesota Administrators of Special Education; and
new text end

new text begin (14) the Minnesota Transportation Alliance.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner of education must solicit applications for membership in the
working group. By June 25, 2019, the commissioner must designate from the applicants
the following to serve as members of the working group:
new text end

new text begin (1) a representative from an intermediate school district;
new text end

new text begin (2) a representative from a special education cooperative, education district, or service
cooperative;
new text end

new text begin (3) a representative from a school district in a city of the first class;
new text end

new text begin (4) a representative from a school district in a first tier suburb;
new text end

new text begin (5) a representative from a rural school district; and
new text end

new text begin (6) a representative from a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization serving students
with disabilities and their parents.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Meetings. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education, or the commissioner's designee,
must convene the first meeting of the working group no later than July 15, 2019. The working
group must select a chair or cochairs from among its members at the first meeting. The
working group must meet periodically. Meetings of the working group are subject to
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Compensation. new text end

new text begin Working group members are not eligible to receive expenses
or per diem payments for serving on the working group.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Administrative support. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education must provide technical
and administrative assistance to the working group upon request.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin (a) By January 15, 2020, the working group must submit a report
providing its findings and recommendations to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education.
new text end

new text begin (b) At its 2020 annual session, the legislature is encouraged to convene a legislative
study group to review the recommendations and ten-year strategic plan to develop its own
recommendations for legislative changes, as necessary.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin The working group expires upon submission of the report required
in subdivision 6.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end