SF 2089

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 11:34pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing for a study to examine the operating cost
differential of school districts in the state.

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

Section 1. new text begin OPERATING COST DIFFERENTIAL STUDY, DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of education shall request assistance from the Regional
Educational Laboratory Midwest to study the differential cost of operating a school district
in Minnesota using sound economic and statistical reasoning.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall initiate the request by July 15, 2009.
new text end

new text begin (c) The Department of Education must provide the Regional Educational Laboratory
Midwest with data necessary to complete the study.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin OPERATING COST DIFFERENTIAL STUDY.
new text end

new text begin (a) The Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest shall identify the cost of
operating a school district in different regions across the state. As part of the study, the
Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) consider all districts in the state individually and regionally based on
demography, economic region, geography, and any other region as determined by the
contractor to better illustrate the cost differential observed;
new text end

new text begin (2) examine the economic factors that contribute to the costs underlying the basic
operation of a school district including land costs, salaries and benefits, hourly wages,
health care costs, transportation costs, energy costs, telecommunication costs, sparsity,
housing prices, administrative costs, and any other factor which the contractor believes
through sound economic reasoning contributes to the underlying cost of operating a
school district; and
new text end

new text begin (3) construct a study that controls for factors that vary across school districts
in the state including: class size, teacher credentials and education, limited English
proficiency, poverty, mobility, athletic opportunities available to each student, Advanced
Placement course offerings, postsecondary education options, International Baccalaureate
opportunities, college in the schools offerings, foreign language options, academic clubs,
extracurricular opportunities, and any other criteria for which the contractor believes
through sound economic reasoning differentially alters the quality and thus the operating
cost of any particular school district.
new text end

new text begin (b) The Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest must report on the findings to the
legislative committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education
before March 15, 2010.
new text end