1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; enhancing funding for 
  1.3             elementary class size reduction; appropriating money; 
  1.4             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.5             chapter 124A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [124A.227] [CLASS SIZE REDUCTION PROGRAM.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE.] The class size reduction program 
  1.9   is intended to provide instruction to children in the early 
  1.10  elementary grades in classrooms of 20 or fewer students.  The 
  1.11  class size reduction program complements the learning and 
  1.12  development revenue under section 124A.225 that primarily 
  1.13  reduces kindergarten and grade 1 class size. 
  1.14     Subd. 2.  [FULL FUNDING ELIGIBILITY.] To qualify for 
  1.15  funding under this section, a school shall maintain in each 
  1.16  participating class an annual average class size of not more 
  1.17  than 20 students during the instructional time qualifying the 
  1.18  class for funding. 
  1.19     Subd. 3.  [PARTIAL FUNDING ELIGIBILITY.] A school district 
  1.20  that provides a reduced class size of not more than 20 students 
  1.21  for at least one-half of the instructional minutes of the school 
  1.22  day qualifies for one-half of the class size reduction funding 
  1.23  amount.  School districts participating in this option shall use 
  1.24  the smaller class size time for reading and mathematics 
  1.25  instruction. 
  2.1      Subd. 4.  [CLASS SIZE DETERMINATION.] A school district's 
  2.2   class size may exceed 20 students on a particular school day, 
  2.3   but the average class size for the school year must not exceed 
  2.4   20. 
  2.5      Subd. 5.  [REVENUE.] A school district that certifies to 
  2.6   the department of children, families, and learning that it is 
  2.7   eligible for full funding under subdivision 2 is eligible for 
  2.8   class size reduction revenue of $400 times the number of 
  2.9   students in grades 2 and 3 receiving instruction in qualifying 
  2.10  classrooms.  A school district that certifies to the department 
  2.11  of children, families, and learning that it meets the 
  2.12  eligibility criteria of subdivision 3 is eligible for revenue of 
  2.13  $200 times the number of students in grades 2 and 3 receiving 
  2.14  instruction in qualifying classrooms. 
  2.15     Subd. 6.  [STATE AID.] Class size reduction revenue is 
  2.16  provided entirely through state aid. 
  2.17     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.18     $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 1999 from the 
  2.19  general fund to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  2.20  learning for class size reduction revenue according to section 1.
  2.21     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.22     Section 1 is effective for revenue for fiscal years 1999 
  2.23  and later.