125B.25 Telecommunications access revenue.
Subdivision 1. Costs to be submitted. A district shall submit its outstanding ongoing or recurring telecommunications access costs associated with data lines and video links to the department of children, families, and learning. Costs of telecommunications hardware or equipment must not be included in the costs submitted by districts to the department. A district may include installation charges associated with new lines or upgraded lines, but may not include costs of hardware or equipment.
Subd. 2. Guaranteed minimum access. (a) The ongoing or recurring telecommunications access costs submitted to the department by each district under this section are limited to the operation costs equal to the greater of:
(1) one data line or video link that relies on a transport medium that operates at a minimum speed of 1.544 megabytes per second for each elementary school, middle school, or high school under section 120A.05, subdivisions 9, 11, and 13; or
(2) one data line or video link that relies on a transport medium that operates at a minimum speed of 1.544 megabytes per second for each district.
(b) A district may include costs associated with cooperative arrangements with other post-secondary institutions, school districts, and community and regional libraries in its geographic region. A district may continue to purchase its ongoing or recurring telecommunications access services through existing contracts.
Subd. 3. E-rates. To be eligible for revenue under this section, a district is required to file an e-rate application either separately or through their telecommunications grant cluster. Discounts received on telecommunications expenditures shall be used to offset the amount submitted to the department for per pupil revenue under this section.
Subd. 4. Calculation of costs. By December 15 of each year, the commissioner shall calculate the ongoing or recurring telecommunications access cost per adjusted marginal cost pupil unit submitted by each school district under subdivisions 1 and 2 for the year in which the data is submitted minus the reserved revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 13, paragraph (d). Districts shall submit their anticipated ongoing or recurring telecommunications access costs, adjusted for any e-rate revenue received to the department based on contracts entered into by the district for that school year. Districts shall also submit their actual telecommunications access costs by August 15 of each year and adjusted for any e-rate revenue received to the department as prescribed by the commissioner.
Subd. 5. District revenue. A district shall receive an amount equal to the amount as calculated by the commissioner under subdivision 4, times the adjusted marginal cost pupil units for that year, times 65 percent.
Subd. 6. Revenue for charter schools. (a) Each charter school shall receive revenue equal to the greater of:
(1) the per marginal cost pupil unit amount for the district in which the charter school is located as determined by the commissioner according to subdivision 4; or
(2) $5;
times the adjusted marginal cost pupil units for that year, times 65 percent.
(b) A charter school's revenue under this subdivision must be used to pay for ongoing or recurring telecommunication access costs, including access to data lines, video lines, or Internet access.
Subd. 7. Telecommunication access services for nonpublic schools. (a) Districts shall provide each year upon formal request by or on behalf of a nonpublic school, not including home schools, located in that district or area, ongoing or recurring telecommunication access services to the nonpublic school either through existing district providers or through separate providers.
(b) The amount of district revenue for telecommunication access services for each nonpublic school under this subdivision is equal to:
(1) $5; plus
(2) the per marginal cost pupil unit amount for the district as determined in subdivision 5; times the number of pupils who are enrolled at the nonpublic school as of October 1 of the current school year.
(c) Each year, a district providing services under paragraph (a) may claim up to five percent of the revenue determined in paragraph (b) for costs of administering this subdivision. No district may expend an amount for these telecommunication access services which exceeds the amount allocated under this subdivision. The nonpublic school is responsible for the telecommunications access costs not covered by this section.
(d) At the request of a nonpublic school, districts may allocate the amount determined in paragraph (b) directly to the nonpublic school to pay for or offset the nonpublic school's costs for telecommunication access services, however, the amount allocated directly to the nonpublic school may not exceed the actual amount of the school's ongoing or recurring telecommunication access costs.
Subd. 8. Reimbursement criteria. The commissioner, working with the commissioner of administration and the Minnesota education telecommunications council, shall develop reimbursement criteria that schools must address when submitting ongoing or recurring telecommunications costs as determined in subdivisions 1 and 2. The criteria must assist schools to procure telecommunications access services in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible.
Subd. 9. Expiration. This section expires on July 1, 2002.
Subd. 10. Severability. If any portion of this section is found by a court to be unconstitutional, the remaining portions of the section shall remain in effect.
HIST: 2000 c 489 art 5 s 8
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes