1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; creating efficiency plus access task forces; appropriating 
1.3 	money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 123A.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [123A.29] EFFICIENCY PLUS ACCESS TASK FORCES.
1.6 		Subdivision 1.Purpose. The purpose of the efficiency plus access task forces 
1.7 	is to facilitate greater efficiency and reduce education costs through collaboration and 
1.8 	cooperation across school districts and other governmental agencies while maintaining 
1.9 	or improving the learning results for students. The legislative intent is to reduce the 
1.10 	administrative costs of education without resorting to a policy of required consolidation 
1.11 	that reduces the number of districts or school boards and without creating fewer larger 
1.12 	schools that require longer bus rides for students.
1.13 		Subd. 2.Required district participation. Each district with an enrollment of 
1.14 	fewer than 5,000 pupils in K-12 for fiscal year 2010 shall participate in an efficiency 
1.15 	plus access task force.
1.16 		Subd. 3.Optional district and other public entity participation. School districts 
1.17 	with more than 5,000 pupils, charter schools, cities, townships, counties, public higher 
1.18 	education institutions, Head Start agencies, public libraries, and other public entities are 
1.19 	encouraged to participate in the efficiency plus access task forces.
1.20 		Subd. 4.Task force membership. (a) Participating districts may organize the task 
1.21 	forces using an existing education district, intermediate district, or other cooperative 
1.22 	model. Districts may request that a service cooperative assist in establishing task forces 
1.23 	for their service area. Districts do not need to be contiguous to form an efficiency plus 
1.24 	access task force. Each task force shall consist of one member appointed by each district 
2.1 	board included in the task force and one member from each entity defined in subdivision 
2.2 	3 that choose to participate. Districts and other public entities may decide to become 
2.3 	members of more than one efficiency plus access task force. These appointments shall be 
2.4 	made by August 15, 2010.
2.5 	(b) Each school board shall develop a process within the district allowing teachers, 
2.6 	students, parents, and the community to have access and opportunities to review and make 
2.7 	recommendations to be brought forward to the efficiency plus access task force.
2.8 	(c) By July 1, 2010, the commissioner shall inform districts of their responsibilities 
2.9 	under this section. The initial meeting of each task force shall not be later than September 
2.10 	30, 2010. At the initial meeting, each task force shall elect a chair and other officers it 
2.11 	considers necessary to coordinate the work of the task force.
2.12 		Subd. 5.Task force; powers. (a) Each task force shall review and make 
2.13 	recommendations to the boards of the participating districts and public entities regarding 
2.14 	how the purpose of this section can be met in the following areas:
2.15 	(1) administrative services including but not limited to superintendent services, 
2.16 	principal services, financial management, human services, facilities and grounds 
2.17 	maintenance, food and nutrition services, research and evaluation services, transportation 
2.18 	services, health services, information technology services, and other administrative 
2.19 	services. Cooperation with other public agencies for the provision of administrative 
2.20 	services should be considered;
2.21 	(2) instructional and learning services including but not limited to creating a 
2.22 	common calendar; low-attendance elective secondary courses; use of technology to 
2.23 	replace or supplement courses currently being provided; use of technology to provide 
2.24 	new learning opportunities through technology with an emphasis on using low-cost or 
2.25 	no-cost learning opportunities available online; coordination with higher education so 
2.26 	that advanced courses are provided college credit to avoid duplication between high 
2.27 	school and postsecondary; determine how certain students can complete select high school 
2.28 	credit requirements while in middle school; and exploring ways to utilize the learning 
2.29 	opportunities in the community through programs such as parks and recreation, arts, 
2.30 	libraries, and other community providers; and
2.31 	(3) cooperative arrangements for shared extracurricular activities, including having 
2.32 	the activities become the responsibility of the community recreational program.
2.33 	(b) The task force shall consider creating new models of schools including 
2.34 	project-based learning schools, online learning schools in cooperation with other education 
2.35 	districts, service cooperatives or chartered schools, new grade 11 postsecondary models in 
3.1 	partnership with colleges and universities, pre-K through primary grades in partnership 
3.2 	with early childhood providers, and other models of schooling.
3.3 		Subd. 6.Reporting. Each efficiency plus access task force shall file its initial 
3.4 	planning report with the commissioner no later than October 15, 2010. The report shall 
3.5 	include the basic information about the composition of the task force, including how 
3.6 	input to the task force will be obtained consistent with subdivision 4, paragraph (b). The 
3.7 	commissioner shall review and comment to ensure appropriate task force organization. 
3.8 	School boards that have not joined a task force will be assigned one by the commissioner. 
3.9 	Each task force shall complete its recommendations and file its report with the member 
3.10 	school boards and commissioner no later than December 1, 2011. The report shall 
3.11 	include recommendations pursuant to subdivision 5 and identify the financial impact of 
3.12 	those recommendations for at least fiscal years 2013 and 2014. The commissioner shall 
3.13 	conduct a review and comment regarding each report no later than January 15, 2012. Each 
3.14 	school board shall file a report with the commissioner regarding the actions it will take 
3.15 	in response to the report no later than March 15, 2012. The report shall also include the 
3.16 	impact on other agencies included in the task force planning. The commissioner shall file 
3.17 	a report with the legislature summarizing the results of the task force work and school 
3.18 	board action by June 30, 2012.

3.19 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.20 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. Unless otherwise indicated, the sums 
3.21 	indicated in this section are appropriated from the general fund to the Department of 
3.22 	Education for the fiscal years designated.
3.23 		Subd. 2.Department. For the Department of Education:

3.24 | | $ | ....... | ..... | 2011
3.25 	The department shall contract with an outside entity to perform the tasks assigned to 
3.26 	the commissioner in Minnesota Statutes, section 123A.29.