1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for charter school 
  1.3             districts; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes, chapter 124D. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [124D.101] [CHARTER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [PROCEDURE.] A district may be converted to 
  1.8   a charter district by the approval of the voters in the district 
  1.9   at a district election.  An election may be called by the board 
  1.10  or must be called by the board upon a written petition of 
  1.11  qualified voters in the district.  The board must give 30 days' 
  1.12  published notice of the election in the official newspaper of 
  1.13  the district.  The notice must state the time, place, purpose of 
  1.14  the election, proposed governing body according to subdivision 
  1.15  2, effective date for the conversion, if approved, and schools 
  1.16  electing not to be converted according to subdivision 3.  A 
  1.17  majority of the votes cast during the election must approve the 
  1.18  conversion. 
  1.19     Subd. 2.  [CHARTER DISTRICT GOVERNANCE.] The ballot for 
  1.20  conversion may include a question regarding the district 
  1.21  governance.  The voters may elect to have the newly formed 
  1.22  charter district governed by the board of the city, town, or 
  1.23  county containing the greatest land area of the district, 
  1.24  instead of the district's school board. 
  1.25     Subd. 3.  [ELECTION NOT TO CONVERT A SCHOOL.] A school 
  2.1   within the district can elect not to convert to a charter 
  2.2   school.  A majority of the full-time teachers at the school must 
  2.3   sign a petition opposing conversion.  The petition must be filed 
  2.4   with the clerk of the district no later than 45 days before the 
  2.5   district election on conversion. 
  2.6      Subd. 4.  [SCHOOL COUNCIL.] Each charter school in the 
  2.7   district must have a school council.  Each school must determine 
  2.8   the membership of the school council.  The council must have the 
  2.9   general charge of the business of the school. 
  2.10     Subd. 5.  [DISTRICT BOARD.] The charter district's 
  2.11  governing board may contract with each charter school in the 
  2.12  district to provide services to the schools for a fee. 
  2.13     Subd. 6.  [REVENUE ALLOCATION FOR CHARTER DISTRICTS.] All 
  2.14  general education revenue according to sections 126C.10 to 
  2.15  126C.15 and special education revenue according to sections 
  2.16  125A.75 to 125A.79 received or generated by the district shall 
  2.17  be allocated to each charter school in the district formed under 
  2.18  this section according to the pupil units at each charter 
  2.19  school.  A charter school formed according to this section is 
  2.20  eligible to receive other aids, grants, and revenue according to 
  2.21  section 124D.11, subdivision 6. 
  2.22     Subd. 7.  [DISTRICT LEVY AUTHORITY.] Unless stated 
  2.23  otherwise in this section, the governing board of the charter 
  2.24  district must retain all of the former school district's levy 
  2.25  authority under chapters 124D, 125A, and 126C, and must allocate 
  2.26  the revenue from those levies to each charter school formed 
  2.27  under this section according to the pupil units at each charter 
  2.28  school.  The allocation of funds from the bonding and levy 
  2.29  authority of the district under sections 123B.51 to 123B.71 and 
  2.30  124D.40 shall remain with the district. 
  2.31     Subd. 8.  [EMPLOYMENT OF DISTRICT TEACHERS.] A school in 
  2.32  the newly formed charter district may hire any of the school 
  2.33  district's teachers and support staff.  District teachers and 
  2.34  support staff not hired by a school in the charter district 
  2.35  shall be provided with the district's severance package. 
  2.36     Subd. 9.  [APPLICABLE LAWS; RELEASE OF GOVERNING 
  3.1   BODY.] Unless otherwise stated in this section, the provisions 
  3.2   of sections 124D.10 and 124D.11, subdivisions 5 and 6, apply to 
  3.3   schools within the charter district.  The governing body of the 
  3.4   charter district is released of any power or duty delegated to 
  3.5   the charter schools under sections 124D.10 and 124D.11, 
  3.6   subdivisions 5 and 6.