1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; increasing the funding 
  1.3             available for staff development to aid in the 
  1.4             implementation of the graduation rule; appropriating 
  1.5             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 
  1.6             120B.05. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 120B.05, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     120B.05 [GRADUATION STANDARDS IMPLEMENTATION REVENUE.] 
  1.11     (a) A school district's graduation standards implementation 
  1.12  revenue is equal to $52 times its resident pupil units for 
  1.13  fiscal year 1999 plus $14 times its resident pupil units for 
  1.14  fiscal year 1999 if the district implements the graduation rule 
  1.15  under section 120B.03, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), and ~~$43~~ $66 
  1.16  per pupil unit for all districts for fiscal year 2000 and later. 
  1.17  Graduation standards implementation revenue is reserved and must 
  1.18  be used according to paragraphs (b) and (c). 
  1.19     (b) For fiscal year 1999, revenue must be reserved for 
  1.20  programs according to clauses (1) to (3). 
  1.21     (1) At least $20 per resident pupil unit plus $14 per 
  1.22  resident pupil unit for a district that implements the 
  1.23  graduation rule under section 120B.03, subdivision 1, paragraph 
  1.24  (b), must be allocated to school sites in proportion to the 
  1.25  number of students enrolled at each school site weighted 
  1.26  according to section 126C.05, subdivision 1, and is reserved for 
  2.1   programs designed to enhance the implementation of the 
  2.2   graduation rule through intensive staff development and 
  2.3   decentralized decision making. 
  2.4      (2) At least $5 per resident pupil unit is reserved for 
  2.5   gifted and talented programs that are integrated with the 
  2.6   graduation rule.  This aid must supplement, not supplant, money 
  2.7   spent on gifted and talented programs authorized under Laws 
  2.8   1997, First Special Session chapter 4, article 5, section 24. 
  2.9      (3) Remaining aid under this paragraph must be used: 
  2.10     (i) for technology purposes including wiring, network 
  2.11  connections, and other technology-related infrastructure 
  2.12  improvements; purchase or lease of computer software and 
  2.13  hardware to be used in classrooms and for instructional 
  2.14  purposes; purchase or lease of interactive television network 
  2.15  equipment and network support; purchase or lease of computer 
  2.16  software and hardware designed to support special needs 
  2.17  programming and limited English proficiency programming; network 
  2.18  and technical support; and purchase of textbooks and other 
  2.19  instructional materials; or 
  2.20     (ii) to reduce class size. 
  2.21     (c) For fiscal year 2000 and later, revenue must be 
  2.22  allocated to school sites in proportion to the number of 
  2.23  students enrolled at each school site weighted according to 
  2.24  section 126C.05, subdivision 1, and reserved for programs 
  2.25  designed to enhance the implementation of the graduation rule 
  2.26  through:  (1) staff development programs; (2) technology 
  2.27  purposes under paragraph (b), clause (3); (3) gifted and 
  2.28  talented programs; or (4) class size reduction programs based at 
  2.29  the school site. 
  2.30     (d) To the extent possible, school districts shall make 
  2.31  opportunities for graduation standards implementation available 
  2.32  to teachers employed by intermediate school districts.  If the 
  2.33  commissioner determines that the supplemental appropriation made 
  2.34  for this subdivision under Laws 1998, chapter 398, article 1, 
  2.35  section 40, subdivision 2, is in excess of the amount needed for 
  2.36  this subdivision, the commissioner shall make equal payments of 
  3.1   one-third of the excess to each intermediate school district for 
  3.2   the purpose of paragraph (a). 
  3.3      (e) A district that qualifies for the referendum allowance 
  3.4   reduction under section 126C.17, subdivision 12, and whose 
  3.5   referendum allowance under section 126C.17, subdivision 1, as 
  3.6   adjusted under section 126C.17, subdivisions 2 and 12, does not 
  3.7   exceed the referendum allowance limit under section 126C.17, 
  3.8   subdivision 2, clause (2), shall receive a graduation standards 
  3.9   implementation equity adjustment.  In fiscal year 1999, the 
  3.10  equity adjustment aid is equal to $34 per resident pupil unit.  
  3.11  In fiscal year 2000 and thereafter, the equity adjustment is 
  3.12  equal to $25 per resident pupil unit. 
  3.13     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.14     (a) $4,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2000 from the 
  3.15  general fund to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  3.16  learning for a technology grant to special school district No. 
  3.17  1, Minneapolis, to develop and implement a World Wide Web 
  3.18  application that permits students and parents to: 
  3.19     (1) initiate the enrollment process for any elementary, 
  3.20  middle, or secondary school in the district; 
  3.21     (2) meet state and local graduation rule requirements; 
  3.22     (3) initiate enrollment in the post-secondary enrollment 
  3.23  options program under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09; 
  3.24     (4) initiate enrollment in other public post-secondary 
  3.25  options; and 
  3.26     (5) access school site improvement plans, performance data, 
  3.27  and test scores. 
  3.28     (b) The Minneapolis school district must apply jointly with 
  3.29  a post-secondary institution and a library system for a grant 
  3.30  and demonstrate that the district will achieve significant cost 
  3.31  savings from the computer vendor chosen for the project. 
  3.32     (c) The World Wide Web application must be developed in a 
  3.33  manner that can be used as a model for other school districts. 
  3.34     (d) This appropriation is available until June 30, 2001. 
  3.35     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.36     Sections 1 and 2 are effective for 1999-2000 and later 
  4.1   school years.