SF 1427

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) 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 2006, sections 124D.10,
subdivision 16; 124D.11, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 124D.10, subdivision 16, is amended to
read:

Subd. 16.

Transportation.

(a) A charter school after its first fiscal year of operation
by March 1 of each fiscal year and a charter school by July 1 of its first fiscal year of
operation must notify the district in which the school is located and the Department of
Education if it will provide its own transportation or use the transportation services of the
district in which it is located 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, 2007.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, 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 equal to the sum of the product
of (i) 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 times (ii) the adjusted marginal cost
pupil units, plus the product of $223 times the extended time marginal cost pupil units.

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, 2007, for revenue for fiscal
year 2008.
new text end