HF 1296

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; restoring funding for
certain early childhood education programs; assuring
access to full-day kindergarten for at-risk students;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2004,
section 126C.05, subdivision 1; proposing coding for
new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 124D; 126C.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [124D.175] KINDERGARTEN READINESS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Program. new text end

new text begin A school district may offer a
kindergarten program for four-year-old children.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Levy authority. new text end

new text begin A district that offers a
program under subdivision 1 may annually levy an amount equal to
$100 times the number of four-year-old children in the district
on October 1 of the previous school year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Revenue uses. new text end

new text begin Revenue raised under this section
must be used to provide kindergarten readiness services to four-
and five-year-old children who are not enrolled in kindergarten.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for taxes
payable in 2006.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 126C.05,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Pupil unit.

Pupil units for each
Minnesota resident pupil in average daily membership enrolled in
the district of residence, in another district under sections
123A.05 to 123A.08, 124D.03, 124D.06, 124D.07, 124D.08, or
124D.68; in a charter school under section 124D.10; or for whom
the resident district pays tuition under section 123A.18,
123A.22, 123A.30, 123A.32, 123A.44, 123A.488, 123B.88,
subdivision 4, 124D.04, 124D.05, 125A.03 to 125A.24, 125A.51, or
125A.65, shall be counted according to this subdivision.

(a) A prekindergarten pupil with a disability who is
enrolled in a program approved by the commissioner and has an
individual education plan is counted as the ratio of the number
of hours of assessment and education service to 825 times 1.25
with a minimum average daily membership of 0.28, but not more
than 1.25 pupil units.

(b) A prekindergarten pupil who is assessed but determined
not to be handicapped is counted as the ratio of the number of
hours of assessment service to 825 times 1.25.

(c) A kindergarten pupil with a disability who is enrolled
in a program approved by the commissioner is counted as the
ratio of the number of hours of assessment and education
services required in the fiscal year by the pupil's individual
education program plan to 875, but not more than one.

(d) A kindergarten pupil who is not included in paragraph
(c) new text begin or (i) new text end is counted as .557 of a pupil unit for fiscal year
2000 and thereafter.

(e) A pupil who is in any of grades 1 to 3 is counted as
1.115 pupil units for fiscal year 2000 and thereafter.

(f) A pupil who is any of grades 4 to 6 is counted as 1.06
pupil units for fiscal year 1995 and thereafter.

(g) A pupil who is in any of grades 7 to 12 is counted as
1.3 pupil units.

(h) A pupil who is in the postsecondary enrollment options
program is counted as 1.3 pupil units.

new text begin (i) A kindergarten pupil who is determined to be "at risk"
is counted as 1.0 pupil units for fiscal year 2006 and later. A
kindergarten pupil is defined as "at risk" if the pupil
qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches under subdivision 16.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for
fiscal year 2006.
new text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [126C.205] FUNDING FOR FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Full-day kindergarten revenue. new text end

new text begin The
commissioner must annually calculate for each district the
difference in general education revenue between the amounts
resulting when at-risk kindergarten pupils are counted under
section 126C.05, subdivision 1, paragraph (i), and when the
kindergarten pupils are counted under section 126C.05,
subdivision 1, paragraph (d). Notwithstanding section 126C.20,
the annual aid appropriation for general education revenue
attributable to full-day kindergarten is calculated under this
section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Appropriation. new text end

new text begin $....... is annually
appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
education for payment of full-day kindergarten aid to school
districts.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Levy. new text end

new text begin A district may annually levy the
difference between the full-day kindergarten revenue amount
determined in subdivision 1 and the kindergarten aid entitlement
appropriated in subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for
fiscal year 2006.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin COMMISSIONER STUDY.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education must undertake a study of
definitions for at-risk pupils for purposes of qualifying the
pupil for full-day kindergarten. If the commissioner determines
that there is a better standard than the student qualifying for
free or reduced-price meals, the commissioner shall submit that
definition to the 2006 legislature.
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