1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; establishing a pilot project to examine the policy 
1.3 	implications of allowing a charter school to become an educational entity within 
1.4 	a school district while retaining the autonomy and flexibility of a charter school.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. ALLOWING A CHARTER SCHOOL TO BECOME AN 
1.7 	EDUCATIONAL ENTITY WITHIN A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHILE RETAINING 
1.8 	ITS AUTONOMY AND FLEXIBILITY; PILOT PROJECT.
 1.9 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 
1.10 	123B.04, 124D.10, or other law to the contrary, a five-year pilot project is established to 
1.11 	allow the Lakes International Language Academy, District No. 4116, charter school to 
1.12 	become an educational entity within Independent School District No. 831, Forest Lake, 
1.13 	with the result that the charter school operates under the direct authority and supervision 
1.14 	of the Forest Lake school superintendent and the chief administrator of the charter school 
1.15 	reports directly to the superintendent.
1.16 		Subd. 2.Implementation. (a) To implement this pilot project, the following terms 
1.17 	apply during the term of the pilot project:
1.18 	(1) the charter school remains located in its current facility and continues to operate 
1.19 	in the same manner as before the effective date of this act;
1.20 	(2) the charter school remains subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.10, and 
1.21 	chapters 13 and 13D;
1.22 	(3) the charter school budget and expenditures are reflected in a detailed and binding 
1.23 	agreement reached between the school district and the charter school;
2.1 	(4) the charter school board of directors serves as a site council and retains an 
2.2 	advisory role in the operation of the charter school;
2.3 	(5) no increase in school district or charter school employees occurs as a result 
2.4 	of this pilot project;
2.5 	(6) the charter school employees are at-will employees of the school district but may 
2.6 	become district employees upon the expiration of the pilot project; and
2.7 	(7) the charter school employees remain eligible to participate in alternative teacher 
2.8 	pay under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.414, as described in the charter school quality 
2.9 	compensation agreement in effect on the effective date of this act.
2.10 	(b) Independent School District No. 831, Forest Lake, may include all pupils 
2.11 	attending the Lakes International Language Academy in its count of pupils under 
2.12 	Minnesota Statutes, section 126C.05, and those pupils qualify for funding as pupils 
2.13 	served by the school district except that charter school building lease aid continues under 
2.14 	Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.11, subdivision 4.
2.15 		Subd. 3.Termination. Not later than March 1 in any school year in which the 
2.16 	pilot project is in effect, Independent School District No. 831, Forest Lake, or Lakes 
2.17 	International Language Academy, District No. 4116, charter school, may elect to withdraw 
2.18 	from participating in the pilot project and must immediately transmit notice to the other 
2.19 	party of its intent to withdraw. A decision of either party to withdraw from participating 
2.20 	causes the pilot project to terminate on the proximate June 30 and both parties to revert to 
2.21 	their prepilot project status on that date.
2.22 		Subd. 4.Evaluation. The education commissioner, in consultation with 
2.23 	representatives of school administrators, teachers, and charter school authorizers and 
2.24 	operators, must evaluate the effectiveness of  the pilot project in improving student 
2.25 	outcomes and submit a report by February 1, 2016, of the commissioner's findings to the 
2.26 	education policy and finance committees of the legislature.

2.27 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
2.28 	and applies to the 2011-2012 through 2015-2016 school years.