HF 897

as introduced - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:42am

A bill for an act
relating to education; authorizing charter schools to lease district buildings;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 124D.10, subdivision 17.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 124D.10, subdivision 17, is amended to
read:

Subd. 17.

Leased space.

A charter school may lease space from a board eligible
to be a sponsor or other public or private nonprofit nonsectarian organization. A
school board, intermediate school district school board, or education district organized
under sections 123A.15 to 123A.19, must first offer school district buildings that are
unoccupied to charter schools to lease before offering the space to other entities for lease.
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the school board, intermediate school district
school board, and education district may refuse a charter school's offer if it is not a
competitive offer in the leasing market. If a charter school is unable to lease appropriate
space from an eligible board or other public or private nonprofit nonsectarian organization,
the school may lease space from another nonsectarian organization if the Department of
Education, in consultation with the Department of Administration, approves the lease.
If the school is unable to lease appropriate space from public or private nonsectarian
organizations, the school may lease space from a sectarian organization if the leased space
is constructed as a school facility and the Department of Education, in consultation with
the Department of Administration, approves the lease.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective July 1, 2009, and applies to leases
offered on or after that date.