1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; reducing class size; 
  1.3             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, 
  1.4             section 126C.17, subdivision 5; proposing coding for 
  1.5             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 126C. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 126C.17, 
  1.8   subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 5.  [REFERENDUM EQUALIZATION REVENUE.] A district's 
  1.10  referendum equalization revenue equals $350 in fiscal year 2000, 
  1.11  $415 in fiscal year 2001, $455 in fiscal year 2002, and $465 in 
  1.12  fiscal year 2003 and thereafter times the district's resident 
  1.13  pupil units for that year. 
  1.14     Referendum equalization revenue must not exceed a 
  1.15  district's total referendum revenue for that year. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  [126C.122] [CLASS SIZE REDUCTION.] 
  1.17     A class size reduction program is established to improve 
  1.18  student achievement by reducing the average class size in 
  1.19  kindergarten through grade 3 to a 17 to 1 student to classroom 
  1.20  teacher ratio.  A school district is eligible for class size 
  1.21  reduction revenue if it adopts a class size reduction plan 
  1.22  approved by the commissioner.  A school district may apply to 
  1.23  the commissioner of children, families, and learning for 
  1.24  additional revenue of up to $185 per student in regular 
  1.25  kindergarten and $370 per student in grades 1 through 3 to 
  2.1   reduce class size.  The district shall submit an application to 
  2.2   the commissioner in the form and manner the commissioner 
  2.3   establishes.  The district shall include with its application a 
  2.4   plan showing how it will use the additional revenue to reduce 
  2.5   class size.  The district's first priority for using the revenue 
  2.6   must be to reduce the average kindergarten through grade 3 class 
  2.7   size from the district's 1998-1999 school year level to the 
  2.8   target level of 17 to 1.  A district that meets the class size 
  2.9   target expending less than the maximum revenue amount allowed 
  2.10  may request authority from the commissioner to use the remaining 
  2.11  revenue for reducing class sizes in other grades.  A school 
  2.12  district may receive a waiver from the class size reduction 
  2.13  revenue requirement in exceptional circumstances where the 
  2.14  district faces unavoidable capital constraints or other 
  2.15  circumstances that prevent reducing class size.  Each district 
  2.16  shall submit to the commissioner by August 15 each year a report 
  2.17  describing the impact of the additional revenue on class size 
  2.18  and other strategies the district takes to improve student 
  2.19  achievement. 
  2.20     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  2.21     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  2.22  LEARNING.] The sums indicated in this section are appropriated 
  2.23  from the general fund to the department of children, families, 
  2.24  and learning for the fiscal years designated. 
  2.25     Subd. 2.  [CLASS SIZE REDUCTION AID.] For class size 
  2.26  reduction aid: 
  2.27       $71,468,000     .....     2000 
  2.28       $78,610,000     .....     2001 
  2.29     Subd. 3.  [REFERENDUM EQUALIZATION AID.] For the increase 
  2.30  in referendum equalization aid under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.31  126C.17, to offset increases in capital levies resulting from 
  2.32  class size reduction: 
  2.33       $13,376,000     .....     2001 
  2.34     Subd. 4.  [COMPLEMENT.] To administer the class size 
  2.35  reduction program under section 2: 
  2.36       $   150,000     .....     2000 
  3.1        $   150,000     .....     2001 
  3.2      Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.3      Sections 1 to 3 are effective July 1, 1999.