1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for alternative 
  1.3             school district organization; proposing coding for new 
  1.4             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 123A. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [123A.80] [SPECIALIZED SPONSORING 
  1.7   ORGANIZATION.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A Minnesota organization, 
  1.9   independent school district, special school district, common 
  1.10  school district, intermediate school district, service 
  1.11  cooperative, public or private post-secondary institution, or 
  1.12  two or more Minnesota residents may develop and submit a 
  1.13  proposal for a specialized sponsoring organization to the 
  1.14  proposal review committee established under subdivision 4. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [REQUIREMENTS.] A specialized sponsoring 
  1.16  organization must: 
  1.17     (1) be a nonprofit entity; 
  1.18     (2) have a governing board comprised of Minnesota 
  1.19  residents; 
  1.20     (3) have no geographic locus except to be located in 
  1.21  Minnesota; 
  1.22     (4) provide a framework for the creation, supervision, and 
  1.23  support of new learning environments and schools, and for the 
  1.24  replication of successful models; 
  1.25     (5) contract with other entities to create and operate 
  2.1   schools; contract with other entities to create and operate 
  2.2   programs in new or existing schools that are in a school 
  2.3   district or other school under subdivision 1, or a charter 
  2.4   school that are consistent with the area of specialty of the 
  2.5   specialized sponsoring organization; or both; 
  2.6      (6) establish one or more areas of specialty, such as a 
  2.7   certain type of student, learning method, or field of study; 
  2.8      (7) be nonsectarian in its school and programs; and 
  2.9      (8) not charge tuition. 
  2.10     Subd. 3.  [PROPOSALS.] (a) A proposal for a specialized 
  2.11  sponsoring organization must include its mission, its governing 
  2.12  and legal structure, its budget, how it will be financed 
  2.13  including public and private financing, and how it will meet the 
  2.14  requirements of subdivision 2. 
  2.15     (b) Applicants must submit proposals to the proposal review 
  2.16  committee by October 15, 2003. 
  2.17     Subd. 4.  [REVIEW COMMITTEE; REVIEW OF PROPOSALS.] (a) A 
  2.18  proposal review committee is established to review proposals for 
  2.19  specialized sponsoring organizations under subdivision 3.  The 
  2.20  committee consists of six members with two members appointed by 
  2.21  the house of representatives, two members appointed by the 
  2.22  senate, and two members appointed by the governor. 
  2.23     (b) The review committee may approve the establishment of 
  2.24  up to five specialized sponsoring organizations.  At least one 
  2.25  of the specialized sponsoring organizations must have as its 
  2.26  area of specialty the creation of schools that serve students in 
  2.27  small rural school districts.  At least one of the specialized 
  2.28  sponsoring organizations must have as its area of specialty the 
  2.29  creation of schools that serve students from urban settings. 
  2.30     (c) The review committee must complete its work and report 
  2.31  its recommendations to the legislature by March 15, 2004.  The 
  2.32  committee expires on June 30, 2004. 
  2.33     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  2.34  following final enactment.