HF 2198

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

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; modifying the pupil
transportation formulas for charter schools; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2004, sections 124D.10, subdivision
16; 124D.11, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 124D.10,
subdivision 16, is amended to read:

Subd. 16.

Transportation.

(a) By July 1 of each year, a
charter school must notify the district in which the school is
located and the Department of Education if it will provide
transportation for pupils enrolled in the school for the fiscal
year.

(b) If a charter school elects to provide transportation
for pupils, the transportation must be provided by the charter
school within the district in which the charter school is
located. The state must pay transportation aid to the charter
school according to section 124D.11, subdivision 2.

For pupils who reside outside the district in which the
charter school is located, the charter school is not required to
provide or pay for transportation between the pupil's residence
and the border of the district in which the charter school is
located. A parent may be reimbursed by the charter school for
costs of transportation from the pupil's residence to the border
of the district in which the charter school is located if the
pupil is from a family whose income is at or below the poverty
level, as determined by the federal government. The
reimbursement may not exceed the pupil's actual cost of
transportation or 15 cents per mile traveled, whichever is
less. Reimbursement may not be paid for more than 250 miles per
week.

At the time a pupil enrolls in a charter school, the
charter school must provide the parent or guardian with
information regarding the transportation.

(c) If a charter school does not elect to provide
transportation, new text begin the charter school may elect to require the
district in which the school is located to provide
transportation services within an attendance area established by
the school district according to the provisions of clause (1).
Alternatively, the charter school may elect to require the
district in which the charter school is located to provide
transportation services within the entire school district
according to clause (2).
new text end

new text begin (1) For a charter school that elects to receive
new text end transportation for pupils enrolled at the school new text begin within an
attendance area established by the school district, the services
new text end must be provided by the district in which the school is located,
according to sections 123B.88, subdivision 6, and 124D.03,
subdivision 8, for a pupil residing in the same deleted text begin district
deleted text end new text begin attendance area new text end in which the charter school is located.

new text begin (2) For a charter school that elects to require a school
district to provide transportation services for all students
residing in the same district, the services must be provided
according to sections 123B.88, subdivision 6, and 124D.03,
subdivision 8, for a pupil residing in the same district in
which the charter school is located. The school district may
bill the charter school for unreimbursed transportation costs
according to section 124D.11, subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin (d) new text end Transportation may be provided by the district in which
the school is located, according to sections 123B.88,
subdivision 6, and 124D.03, subdivision 8, for a pupil residing
in a different district.

new text begin (e) new text end If the district provides the transportation, the
scheduling of routes, manner and method of transportation,
control and discipline of the pupils, new text begin attendance areas, new text end and any
other matter relating to the transportation of pupils under this
deleted text begin paragraph deleted text end new text begin subdivision new text end shall be within the sole discretion,
control, and management of the district.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2005.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 124D.11,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Transportation revenue.

new text begin (a) new text end Transportation
revenue must be paid to a charter school that provides
transportation services according to section 124D.10,
subdivision 16, according to this subdivision. Transportation
aid shall equal transportation revenue.

new text begin (b) new text end In addition to the revenue under subdivision 1, a
charter school providing transportation services must receive
general education aid for each pupil unit equal to the sum of an
amount equal to the product of the formula allowance according
to section 126C.10, subdivision 2, times .0485, plus the
transportation sparsity allowance for the school district in
which the charter school is located.

new text begin (c) For a charter school that is requiring the school
district to provide transportation services throughout a school
district under section 124D.10, subdivision 16, paragraph (c),
clause (2), the school district's unreimbursed costs equal the
greater of zero, or the district's actual costs for transporting
that charter school's charter school pupils less an amount equal
to the product of the formula allowance according to section
126C.10, subdivision 2, times .0485, plus the transportation
sparsity allowance for the school district in which the charter
school is located for each student attending that charter school.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2005,
for revenue for fiscal year 2006.
new text end