1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; establishing a public residential high school for science, 
1.3 	technology, engineering, and mathematics; proposing coding for new law in 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [124D.1105] MINNESOTA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, 
1.7 	ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1. Governance. The board of the Minnesota School of Science, 
1.9 	Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics consists of 15 persons. The board members 
1.10 	include: 
1.11 	(1) one member selected by the speaker of the house;
1.12 	(2) one member selected by the senate majority leader;
1.13 	(3) one member selected by the governor;
1.14 	(4) one member selected by the president of the University of Minnesota;
1.15 	(5) one member selected by the chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and 
1.16 	Universities;
1.17 	(6) two members selected by the Minnesota High Tech Association;
1.18 	(7) two members selected by LifeScience Alley;
1.19 	(8) two members selected by the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota; and
1.20 	(9) four members selected by Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented.
1.21 		Subd. 2.Terms, compensation, and other. The membership terms, compensation, 
1.22 	removal of members, and filling of vacancies are governed by section 15.0575. A member 
1.23 	may serve not more than two consecutive terms.
2.1 		Subd. 3.Powers and duties of board. (a) The board has the powers needed to care 
2.2 	for, manage, and control the Minnesota School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
2.3 	Mathematics, and all its real and personal property. The powers include, but are not 
2.4 	limited to, those listed in this subdivision.
2.5 	(b) The board may employ and discharge necessary employees, and contract for 
2.6 	other services to ensure the efficient operation of the Minnesota School of Science, 
2.7 	Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
2.8 	(c) The board may receive and award grants. The board may establish a charitable 
2.9 	foundation and accept, in trust or otherwise, any gift, grant, bequest, or devise for 
2.10 	educational purposes and hold, manage, invest, and dispose of them and the proceeds 
2.11 	and income of them under the terms and conditions of the gift, grant, bequest, or devise 
2.12 	and its acceptance. The board must adopt internal procedures to administer and monitor 
2.13 	aids and grants.
2.14 	(d) The board may establish or coordinate evening, continuing education, extension, 
2.15 	and summer programs for teachers and pupils.
2.16 	(e) The board may identify pupils with demonstrated or potential talent in science, 
2.17 	technology, engineering, or mathematics.
2.18 	(f) The board must provide an interdisciplinary academic and humanities program 
2.19 	for up to 300 11th and 12th grade pupils with demonstrated or potential talent in science, 
2.20 	technology, engineering, or mathematics. It also must provide, to the extent human and 
2.21 	financial resources permit:
2.22 	(1) intensive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics seminars for one or 
2.23 	two weeks for pupils in grades 9 through 12;
2.24 	(2) summer science, technology, engineering, and mathematics institutes for pupils 
2.25 	in grades 9 through 12;
2.26 	(3) mentor and extension programs in regional sites; and
2.27 	(4) teacher education programs for curriculum delivery.
2.28 	(g) The board may determine the location for the Minnesota School of Science, 
2.29 	Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and any additional facilities related to the 
2.30 	school, including the authority to lease a temporary facility.
2.31 	(h) The board must enroll pupils on an equal basis from each congressional district.
2.32 	(i) The board may establish task forces as needed to advise the board on policies and 
2.33 	issues. The task forces expire as provided in section 15.059, subdivision 6.
2.34 	(j) The board may request assistance and services from the commissioner of 
2.35 	education.
3.1 	(k) The board may enter into contracts with other public and private agencies 
3.2 	and institutions for residential and building maintenance services if it determines that a 
3.3 	contractor, in contrast to the board, can provide more efficient and less expensive services. 
3.4 	The board may also enter into contracts with public or private agencies and institutions, 
3.5 	school districts or combinations of school districts, or service cooperatives to provide 
3.6 	supplemental educational instruction and services.
3.7 	(l) The board may provide or contract for other services and programs by and for 
3.8 	the Minnesota School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics that, in the 
3.9 	board's determination, serve the school's purposes.
3.10 	(m) The board may provide for transportation of pupils to and from the Minnesota 
3.11 	School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics for all or part of the school 
3.12 	year, as the board considers advisable and subject to its rules.  Notwithstanding other 
3.13 	law to the contrary, the board may charge a reasonable fee for pupils' transportation. 
3.14 	Every driver who transports pupils under this paragraph must be qualified as a school bus 
3.15 	driver under section 171.321 and related sections. The board may contract for furnishing 
3.16 	authorized transportation under rules established by the commissioner of education 
3.17 	and may purchase and furnish gasoline to a contract carrier for use in performing a 
3.18 	contract for transporting pupils to and from the Minnesota School of Science, Technology, 
3.19 	Engineering, and Mathematics. When the board provides for pupils' transportation, the 
3.20 	route schedules, the bus stop locations, the manner and method of transportation, the 
3.21 	control and discipline of pupils, and any other related matter are within the sole discretion, 
3.22 	control, and management of the board.
3.23 	(n) The board may provide pupils with room and board. If the board provides room 
3.24 	and board, it shall charge a reasonable fee for the room and board. The fee is not subject 
3.25 	to chapter 14 and is not a prohibited fee under sections 123B.34 to 123B.39.
3.26 	(o) The board may establish and set fees for services and programs. If the board sets 
3.27 	fees not authorized or prohibited by the Minnesota public school fee law, it may do so 
3.28 	without complying with the requirements of section 123B.38.
3.29 	(p) The board may apply for all competitive grants administered by state agencies 
3.30 	and other government or nongovernmental entities.
3.31 		Subd. 4.Center account. A Minnesota School of Science, Technology, 
3.32 	Engineering, and Mathematics account is established in the special revenue fund in the 
3.33 	state treasury. All money the board collects, including rental income, must be deposited in 
3.34 	the account. Money in the account, including interest earned, is appropriated to the board 
3.35 	for operating its services and programs.
4.1 		Subd. 5.Appeal. A parent who disagrees with a board action that adversely 
4.2 	affects the academic program of an enrolled pupil may appeal the board's action to the 
4.3 	commissioner of education within 30 days of the board's action. The decision of the 
4.4 	commissioner shall be binding on the board. The board  must inform each pupil and parent 
4.5 	at the time of enrolling of a parent's right to appeal a board action affecting the pupil's 
4.6 	academic program.
4.7 		Subd. 6.Employees. (a)(1) The board must appoint a director of the Minnesota 
4.8 	School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics who serves in the 
4.9 	unclassified service.
4.10 	(2) The board must employ, upon the director's recommendation, a coordinator of 
4.11 	resource programs who serves in the unclassified service.
4.12 	(3) The board must employ, upon the director's recommendation, up to six department 
4.13 	chairs that serve in the unclassified service. The chairs must be licensed teachers unless no 
4.14 	licensure exists for the subject area or discipline for which the chair is hired.
4.15 	(4) The board may employ other necessary employees, upon the director's 
4.16 	recommendation.
4.17 	(5) The board must employ, upon the director's recommendation, an executive 
4.18 	secretary for the director, who serves in the unclassified service.
4.19 	(b) The employees hired under this subdivision and other necessary employees hired 
4.20 	by the board are state employees in the executive branch.
4.21 		Subd. 7.Admission and curriculum requirements; generally. (a) The board may 
4.22 	adopt rules for admitting and discharging pupils from the full-time programs, rules for 
4.23 	discharging pupils from the dormitory, and rules about operating the center, including the 
4.24 	transporting of pupils. Board rules about admitting pupils are governed by chapter 14. 
4.25 	Board rules about discharging pupils must be consistent with sections 121A.40 to 121A.56, 
4.26 	the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act. Board rules about discharging pupils from the dormitory are 
4.27 	not subject to the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act under sections 121A.40 to 121A.56. Board 
4.28 	rules about pupil discharge and the school's operation are not subject to chapter 14.
4.29 	(b) Proceedings concerning the full-time program for pupils, including admission, 
4.30 	discharge, a pupil's program, and a pupil's progress, are governed by board rules and 
4.31 	are not contested cases under chapter 14.
4.32 		Subd. 8.Public postsecondary institutions; providing space. A public 
4.33 	postsecondary institution must provide space for Minnesota School of Science, 
4.34 	Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs at no cost or at reasonable cost to 
4.35 	the school to the extent space is available at the public postsecondary institution.
5.1 		Subd. 9.Purchasing instructional items. Notwithstanding chapters 16B and 16C, 
5.2 	the board may procure technical educational equipment for the Minnesota School of 
5.3 	Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics programs using brand designation or 
5.4 	according to board-adopted standards and specifications.

5.5 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.