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126C.40 Capital levies.

Subdivision 1. To lease building or land. (a) When a district finds it economically advantageous to rent or lease a building or land for any instructional purposes or for school storage or furniture repair, and it determines that the operating capital revenue authorized under section 126C.10, subdivision 13, is insufficient for this purpose, it may apply to the commissioner for permission to make an additional capital expenditure levy for this purpose. An application for permission to levy under this subdivision must contain financial justification for the proposed levy, the terms and conditions of the proposed lease, and a description of the space to be leased and its proposed use.

(b) The criteria for approval of applications to levy under this subdivision must include: the reasonableness of the price, the appropriateness of the space to the proposed activity, the feasibility of transporting pupils to the leased building or land, conformity of the lease to the laws and rules of the state of Minnesota, and the appropriateness of the proposed lease to the space needs and the financial condition of the district. The commissioner must not authorize a levy under this subdivision in an amount greater than the cost to the district of renting or leasing a building or land for approved purposes. The proceeds of this levy must not be used for custodial or other maintenance services. A district may not levy under this subdivision for the purpose of leasing or renting a district-owned building or site to itself.

(c) For agreements finalized after July 1, 1997, a district may not levy under this subdivision for the purpose of leasing: (1) a newly constructed building used primarily for regular kindergarten, elementary, or secondary instruction; or (2) a newly constructed building addition or additions used primarily for regular kindergarten, elementary, or secondary instruction that contains more than 20 percent of the square footage of the previously existing building.

(d) The total levy under this subdivision for a district for any year must not exceed $100 times the resident pupil units for the fiscal year to which the levy is attributable.

(e) For agreements for which a review and comment have been submitted to the department of children, families, and learning after April 1, 1998, the term "instructional purpose" as used in this subdivision excludes expenditures on stadiums.

Subd. 2. Pre-July 1990 lease purchase, installment buys. A district may annually levy the amount needed to make payments required by a lease purchase agreement, installment purchase agreement, or other deferred payment agreement authorized by Minnesota Statutes 1989 Supplement, section 465.71, if:

(1) the agreement was approved by the commissioner before July 1, 1990, according to Minnesota Statutes 1989 Supplement, section 275.125, subdivision 11d; or

(2) the district levied in 1989 for the payments.

Subd. 3. Cooperating districts. A district that has an agreement according to section 123A.30 or 123A.32 may levy for the repair costs, as approved by the department of a building located in another district that is a party to the agreement.

Subd. 4. Interactive television. (a) A district with its central administrative office located within economic development region one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten may apply to the commissioner for ITV revenue up to the greater of .5 percent of the adjusted net tax capacity of the district or $25,000. Eligible interactive television expenditures include the construction, maintenance, and lease costs of an interactive television system for instructional purposes. An eligible school district that has completed the construction of its interactive television system may also purchase computer hardware and software used primarily for instructional purposes and access to the Internet provided that its total expenditures for interactive television maintenance and lease costs and for computer hardware and software under this subdivision do not exceed its interactive television revenue for fiscal year 1998. The approval by the commissioner and the application procedures set forth in subdivision 1 shall apply to the revenue in this subdivision. In granting the approval, the commissioner shall consider whether the district is maximizing efficiency through peak use and off-peak use pricing structures.

(b) To obtain ITV revenue, a district may levy an amount not to exceed the district's ITV revenue times the lesser of one or the ratio of:

(1) the quotient derived by dividing the adjusted net tax capacity of the district for the year before the year the levy is certified by the resident pupil units in the district for the year to which the levy is attributable; to

(2) $10,000.

(c) A district's ITV aid is the difference between its ITV revenue and the ITV levy.

(d) The revenue in the first year after reorganization for a district that has reorganized under sections 123A.35 to 123A.41, 123A.46, or 123A.48 shall be the greater of:

(1) the revenue computed for the reorganized district under paragraph (a), or

(2)(i) for two districts that reorganized, 75 percent of the revenue computed as if the districts involved in the reorganization were separate, or

(ii) for three or more districts that reorganized, 50 percent of the revenue computed as if the districts involved in the reorganization were separate.

(e) The revenue in paragraph (d) is increased by the difference between the initial revenue and ITV lease costs for leases that had been entered into by the preexisting districts on the effective date of the consolidation or combination and with a term not exceeding ten years. This increased revenue is only available for the remaining term of the lease. However, in no case shall the revenue exceed the amount available had the preexisting districts received revenue separately.

(f) Effective for fiscal year 2000, the revenue under this section shall be 75 percent of the amount determined in paragraph (a); for fiscal year 2001, 50 percent of the amount in paragraph (a); and for fiscal year 2002, 25 percent of the amount in paragraph (a).

(g) This section expires effective for revenue for fiscal year 2003, or when leases in existence on the effective date of Laws 1997, First Special Session chapter 4, expire.

Subd. 5. Energy conservation. For loans approved before March 1, 1998, the district may annually include as revenue under section 123B.53, without the approval of a majority of the voters in the district, an amount sufficient to repay the annual principal and interest of the loan made pursuant to sections 216C.37 and 298.292 to 298.298. For energy loans approved after March 1, 1998, school districts must annually transfer from the general fund to the debt redemption fund the amount sufficient to pay interest and principal on the loans.

Subd. 6. Lease purchase; installment buys. (a) Upon application to, and approval by, the commissioner in accordance with the procedures and limits in subdivision 1, paragraphs (a) and (b), a district, as defined in this subdivision, may:

(1) purchase real or personal property under an installment contract or may lease real or personal property with an option to purchase under a lease purchase agreement, by which installment contract or lease purchase agreement title is kept by the seller or vendor or assigned to a third party as security for the purchase price, including interest, if any; and

(2) annually levy the amounts necessary to pay the district's obligations under the installment contract or lease purchase agreement.

(b) The obligation created by the installment contract or the lease purchase agreement must not be included in the calculation of net debt for purposes of section 475.53, and does not constitute debt under other law. An election is not required in connection with the execution of the installment contract or the lease purchase agreement.

(c) The proceeds of the levy authorized by this subdivision must not be used to acquire a facility to be primarily used for athletic or school administration purposes.

(d) For the purposes of this subdivision, "district" means:

(1) a school district required to have a comprehensive plan for the elimination of segregation whose plan has been determined by the commissioner to be in compliance with the state board of education rules relating to equality of educational opportunity and school desegregation; or

(2) a school district that participates in a joint program for interdistrict desegregation with a district defined in clause (1) if the facility acquired under this subdivision is to be primarily used for the joint program.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, the prohibition against a levy by a district to lease or rent a district-owned building to itself does not apply to levies otherwise authorized by this subdivision.

(f) For the purposes of this subdivision, any references in subdivision 1 to building or land shall include personal property.

HIST: 1974 c 521 s 30; 1977 c 447 art 1 s 20; art 6 s 9; 1983 c 323 s 4; 1984 c 502 art 7 s 9; 1984 c 583 s 32; 1986 c 444; 1988 c 718 art 8 s 21; 1988 c 719 art 5 s 84; 1989 c 222 s 36; 1989 c 329 art 5 s 14; art 6 s 49; art 13 s 20; 1Sp1989 c 1 art 2 s 11; 1990 c 562 art 5 s 9,10; 1991 c 130 s 30; 1991 c 265 art 5 s 13; art 6 s 56; 1992 c 499 art 5 s 22; art 6 s 30; art 12 s 29; 1993 c 224 art 5 s 30; art 7 s 12; 1994 c 465 art 2 s 1; art 3 s 25; 1994 c 614 s 1; 1994 c 647 art 5 s 13; art 6 s 29; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 12 s 3; art 16 s 13; 1996 c 412 art 5 s 5,6; 1997 c 7 art 1 s 63; 1Sp1997 c 4 art 4 s 19; art 9 s 1; 3Sp1997 c 3 s 27; 1998 c 397 art 7 s 108-110,164; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 4 s 4-6

* NOTE: Subdivision 3 was also amended by Laws 1995, First *Special Session chapter 3, article 5, section 9, to read as *follows:

* "Subd. 3. Post-June 1992 lease purchase, installment *buys. (a) Upon application to, and approval by, the *commissioner in accordance with the procedures and limits in *subdivision 1, a district, as defined in this subdivision, may:

* (1) purchase real or personal property under an installment *contract or may lease real or personal property with an option *to purchase under a lease purchase agreement, by which *installment contract or lease purchase agreement title is kept *by the seller or vendor or assigned to a third party as security *for the purchase price, including interest, if any; and

* (2) annually levy the amounts necessary to pay the *district's obligations under the installment contract or lease *purchase agreement.

* (b)(1) The obligation created by the installment contract *or the lease purchase agreement must not be included in the *calculation of net debt for purposes of section 475.53, and does *not constitute debt under other law."

* (2) An election is not required in connection with the *execution of the installment contract or the lease purchase *agreement.

* (c) The proceeds of the levy authorized by this subdivision *must not be used to acquire a facility to be primarily used for *athletic or school administration purposes.

* (d) In this subdivision, "district" means:

* (1) a school district required to have a comprehensive plan *for the elimination of segregation whose plan has been *determined by the commissioner to be in compliance with the *state board of education rules relating to equality of *educational opportunity and school desegregation; or

* (2) a school district that participates in a joint program *for interdistrict desegregation with a district defined in *clause (1) if the facility acquired under this subdivision is to *be primarily used for the joint program.

* (e) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, the prohibition against *a levy by a district to lease or rent a district-owned building *to itself does not apply to levies otherwise authorized by this *subdivision.

* (f) For the purposes of this subdivision, any references in *subdivision 1 to building or land shall be deemed to include *personal property."

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Revisor of Statutes