1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education finance; promoting school 
  1.3             success through enhanced pupil attendance; providing 
  1.4             funding for truancy reduction activities; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 120A.30; 126C.10, 
  1.6             subdivision 3; 126C.15, subdivision 1.  
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 120A.30, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     120A.30 [ATTENDANCE OFFICERS.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [TRUANCY INVESTIGATION.] The board of any 
  1.12  district may authorize the employment of attendance officers, 
  1.13  who must investigate truancy or nonattendance at school, make 
  1.14  complaints, serve notice and process, and attend to the 
  1.15  enforcement of all laws and district rules regarding school 
  1.16  attendance.  When any attendance officer learns of any case of 
  1.17  habitual truancy or continued nonattendance of any child 
  1.18  required to attend school the officer must immediately notify 
  1.19  the person having control of the child to send and keep the 
  1.20  child in school.  The attendance officer must also refer a 
  1.21  habitual truant child as defined in section 260C.007, 
  1.22  subdivision 19, and the child's parent or legal guardian to 
  1.23  appropriate services and procedures under chapter 260A, if 
  1.24  available within the school district.  Attendance officers or 
  1.25  other designated school officials must ensure that the notice 
  1.26  required by section 260A.03 for a child who is a continuing 
  2.1   truant is sent.  The officer must act under the general 
  2.2   supervision of the superintendent. 
  2.3      Subd. 2.  [TRUANCY GOALS.] In order to be eligible for 
  2.4   truancy reduction revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 3, 
  2.5   each school district must establish goals for student 
  2.6   attendance.  School districts must set attainable goals, but are 
  2.7   encouraged to strive for a minimum goal for student attendance 
  2.8   of not less than 95 percent.  The goals must be submitted to the 
  2.9   department of children, families, and learning along with a 
  2.10  baseline report of current truancy rates and current programs 
  2.11  and strategies designed to reduce truancy.  
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [TRUANCY REPORTING.] By July 1 of each year, a 
  2.13  school district receiving truancy reduction revenue under 
  2.14  section 126C.10, subdivision 3, must report to the department of 
  2.15  children, families, and learning about the district's truancy 
  2.16  reduction activities.  The report must show the baseline truancy 
  2.17  rates and for each year after July 1, 2002, show the progress 
  2.18  the district has made in meeting its student attendance goals 
  2.19  adopted under subdivision 2.  The report must also contain 
  2.20  information on the district's graduation rates, truancy patterns 
  2.21  including the number of truancy petitions filed within the 
  2.22  district, and number of cases of educational neglect occurring 
  2.23  within the district. 
  2.24     Subd. 4.  [CONTINUING FUNDING.] Each year, the department 
  2.25  of children, families, and learning shall evaluate school 
  2.26  districts' progress in reaching their truancy reduction goals.  
  2.27  Any district that has been determined to have failed to meet its 
  2.28  truancy reduction goals is not eligible for funding in the 
  2.29  following year. 
  2.30     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for fiscal 
  2.31  years 2002 and later. 
  2.32     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 126C.10, 
  2.33  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.34     Subd. 3.  [COMPENSATORY EDUCATION REVENUE.] The 
  2.35  compensatory education revenue for each building in the district 
  2.36  equals the sum of:  (1) the formula allowance times the 
  3.1   compensation revenue pupil units computed according to section 
  3.2   126C.05, subdivision 3; and (2) truancy prevention revenue equal 
  3.3   to four percent times the amount calculated in clause (1).  
  3.4   Revenue shall be paid to the district and must be allocated 
  3.5   according to section 126C.15, subdivision 2. 
  3.6      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for fiscal 
  3.7   years 2002 and later. 
  3.8      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 126C.15, 
  3.9   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.10     Subdivision 1.  [USE OF THE REVENUE.] The basic skills 
  3.11  revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 4, and the portion of 
  3.12  the transition revenue adjustment under section 126C.10, 
  3.13  subdivision 20, attributable to the compensatory transition 
  3.14  allowance under section 126C.10, subdivision 19, paragraph (b), 
  3.15  must be reserved and used to meet the educational needs of 
  3.16  pupils who enroll under-prepared to learn and whose progress 
  3.17  toward meeting state or local content or performance standards 
  3.18  is below the level that is appropriate for learners of their 
  3.19  age.  The truancy reduction revenue under section 126C.10, 
  3.20  subdivision 3, must be reserved and used for programs 
  3.21  specifically designed to reduce truancy under clause (7).  Any 
  3.22  of the following may be provided to meet these learners' needs: 
  3.23     (1) direct instructional services under the assurance of 
  3.24  mastery program according to section 124D.66; 
  3.25     (2) remedial instruction in reading, language arts, 
  3.26  mathematics, other content areas, or study skills to improve the 
  3.27  achievement level of these learners; 
  3.28     (3) additional teachers and teacher aides to provide more 
  3.29  individualized instruction to these learners through individual 
  3.30  tutoring, lower instructor-to-learner ratios, or team teaching; 
  3.31     (4) a longer school day or week during the regular school 
  3.32  year or through a summer program that may be offered directly by 
  3.33  the site or under a performance-based contract with a 
  3.34  community-based organization; 
  3.35     (5) comprehensive and ongoing staff development consistent 
  3.36  with district and site plans according to section 122A.60, for 
  4.1   teachers, teacher aides, principals, and other personnel to 
  4.2   improve their ability to identify the needs of these learners 
  4.3   and provide appropriate remediation, intervention, 
  4.4   accommodations, or modifications; 
  4.5      (6) instructional materials and technology appropriate for 
  4.6   meeting the individual needs of these learners; 
  4.7      (7) programs to reduce truancy, and increase school 
  4.8   attendance to the levels established under section 120A.30, 
  4.9   including parental involvement programs, programs designed to 
  4.10  increase personal contact with students and family, and 
  4.11  collaborative activities with other schools or with social 
  4.12  service and law enforcement agencies providing truancy reduction 
  4.13  activities; 
  4.14     (8) programs to encourage completion of high school, 
  4.15  enhance self-concept, provide health services, provide nutrition 
  4.16  services, provide a safe and secure learning environment, 
  4.17  provide coordination for pupils receiving services from other 
  4.18  governmental agencies, provide psychological services to 
  4.19  determine the level of social, emotional, cognitive, and 
  4.20  intellectual development, and provide counseling services, 
  4.21  guidance services, and social work services; 
  4.22     (8) (9) bilingual programs, bicultural programs, and 
  4.23  programs for learners of limited English proficiency; 
  4.24     (9) (10) all-day kindergarten; 
  4.25     (10) (11) extended school day and extended school year 
  4.26  programs; 
  4.27     (11) (12) substantial parent involvement in developing and 
  4.28  implementing remedial education or intervention plans for a 
  4.29  learner, including learning contracts between the school, the 
  4.30  learner, and the parent that establish achievement goals and 
  4.31  responsibilities of the learner and the learner's parent or 
  4.32  guardian; and 
  4.33     (12) (13) other methods to increase achievement, as needed. 
  4.34     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for fiscal 
  4.35  years 2002 and later. 
  4.36     Sec. 4.  [NO SUPPLANTING.] 
  5.1      Money received under section 2 must not be used to supplant 
  5.2   any funds currently expended for truancy reduction activities. 
  5.3      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for fiscal 
  5.4   years 2002 and later. 
  5.5      Sec. 5.  [REPORT.] 
  5.6      By July 1, 2004, the department of children, families, and 
  5.7   learning must report to the education committees of the house 
  5.8   and the senate on truancy reduction activities.  
  5.9      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for revenue for 
  5.10  fiscal years 2002 and later.