1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; requiring Independent School District No. 834, 
1.3 	Stillwater, to proceed with schoolhouse closings only after conducting a 
1.4 	referendum on the closings; conditioning board-approved operating referenda 
1.5 	authority on citizen involvement in schoolhouse closings;amending Minnesota 
1.6 	Statutes 2014, section 126C.17, subdivision 9a.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.17, subdivision 9a, is amended to 
1.9 	read:
1.10 		Subd. 9a.Board-approved referendum allowance. Notwithstanding subdivision 
1.11 	9, a school district may convert up to $300 per adjusted pupil unit of referendum authority 
1.12 	from voter approved to board approved by a board vote. A district with less than $300 per 
1.13 	adjusted pupil unit of referendum authority after the local optional revenue subtraction 
1.14 	under subdivision 1 may authorize new referendum authority up to the difference between 
1.15 	$300 per adjusted pupil unit and the district's referendum authority. The board may 
1.16 	authorize this levy for up to five years and may subsequently reauthorize that authority 
1.17 	in increments of up to five years. Beginning in fiscal year 2018, a board may exercise 
1.18 	authority under this subdivision only if the board has complied with legislative enactments 
1.19 	regarding citizen involvement under section 123B.51, subdivision 5.

1.20 	Sec. 2. STILLWATER SCHOOL DISTRICT; SCHOOL CLOSINGS.
 1.21 	(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the board of Independent School 
1.22 	District No. 834, Stillwater, must not proceed with a schoolhouse closing unless the board 
1.23 	complies with the provisions of Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.51, subdivision 5, and 
1.24 	conducts a referendum according to paragraph (b).
2.1 	(b) Before closing any schoolhouse, the board must conduct a referendum on a date 
2.2 	set by the board. The ballot must provide a description of the schoolhouses to be closed 
2.3 	and contain a question stating substantially the following:
2.4 	"Shall the board of Stillwater School District No. 834 proceed with closing the 
2.5 	schoolhouses identified as . . . . ?"
2.6 	If approved, the board may make a final decision to close the schoolhouses.

2.7 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day after the governing body 
2.8 	of Independent School District No. 834, Stillwater, and its chief clerical officer timely 
2.9 	complete their compliance with Minnesota Statutes, section 645.021, subdivisions 2 and 3, 
2.10 	and applies to any schoolhouse closings not yet completed on or after the date of enactment.