1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; allowing district flexibility 
  1.3             in using learning and development revenue; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 124A.225, subdivision 
  1.5             4. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 124A.225, 
  1.8   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 4.  [REVENUE USE.] (a) Revenue must be used according 
  1.10  to either paragraph (b), (c), or (d). 
  1.11     (b) Revenue shall be used to reduce and maintain the 
  1.12  district's instructor to learner ratios in kindergarten through 
  1.13  grade 6 to a level of 1 to 17 on average. The district must 
  1.14  prioritize the use of the revenue to attain this level initially 
  1.15  in kindergarten and grade 1 and then through the subsequent 
  1.16  grades as revenue is available.  The district is allowed to use 
  1.17  the revenue to reduce instructor-learner ratios in other 
  1.18  elementary grades if the district determines priority must be 
  1.19  given to those elementary pupils. 
  1.20     (c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), for fiscal year 1995, a 
  1.21  district with exceptional need as defined in subdivision 6, 
  1.22  paragraph (a), may use the revenue to reduce and maintain the 
  1.23  district's instructor-to-learner ratios in kindergarten through 
  1.24  grade 6 to a level that is at least 2.0 less than the district's 
  1.25  adopted staffing ratio, if the remaining learning and 
  2.1   development revenue is used to continue or initiate staffing 
  2.2   patterns that meet the needs of a diverse student population.  
  2.3   Programs to meet the needs of a diverse student population may 
  2.4   include programs for at-risk pupils and learning enrichment 
  2.5   programs. 
  2.6      (d) For fiscal year 1995 only, in any school building that 
  2.7   meets the characteristics of exceptional need as defined in 
  2.8   subdivision 6, paragraph (b), a district may use the revenue to 
  2.9   employ education assistants or aides supervised by a learner's 
  2.10  regular instructor to assist learners in those school buildings. 
  2.11     (e) The revenue may be used to prepare and use an 
  2.12  individualized learning plan for each learner.  A district must 
  2.13  not increase the district wide instructor-learner ratios in 
  2.14  other grades as a result of reducing instructor-learner ratios 
  2.15  in kindergarten through grade 6.  Revenue may not be used to 
  2.16  provide instructor preparation time or to provide the district's 
  2.17  share of revenue required under section 124.311.  A school 
  2.18  district may use a portion of the revenue reserved under this 
  2.19  section to employ up to the same number of full-time equivalent 
  2.20  education assistants or aides as the district employed during 
  2.21  the 1992-1993 school year under Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 
  2.22  124.331, subdivision 2.