Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Office of the Revisor of Statutes

120A.20 Admission to public school.

Subdivision 1. Age limitations; pupils. All schools supported in whole or in part by state funds are public schools. Admission to a public school is free to any person who resides within the district that operates the school, who is under 21 years of age, and who satisfies the minimum age requirements imposed by this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, the conduct of all students under 21 years of age attending a public secondary school is governed by a single set of reasonable rules and regulations promulgated by the school board. No person shall be admitted to any public school (1) as a kindergarten pupil, unless the pupil is at least five years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school year for which the pupil seeks admission commences; or (2) as a 1st grade student, unless the pupil is at least six years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school year for which the pupil seeks admission commences or has completed kindergarten; except that any school board may establish a policy for admission of selected pupils at an earlier age.

Subd. 2. Education and residence of homeless. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, a district must not deny free admission to a homeless person of school age solely because the district cannot determine that the person is a resident of the district.

(b) The school district of residence for a homeless person of school age shall be the school district in which the homeless shelter or other program, center, or facility assisting the homeless person is located. The educational services a school district provides to a homeless person must allow the person to work toward meeting the graduation standards under section 120B.02.

Subd. 3. Pupils, at least 21 years of age. In addition to those admitted under subdivision 1, admission to a public secondary school is free to a person who is eligible under this subdivision. In order to be eligible, a person must be:

(1) at least 21 years of age;

(2) a resident of the district where the secondary school is located; and

(3) eligible under section 124D.68, subdivision 2.

Free admission is limited to two school years or the equivalent, or until the pupil completes the courses required to graduate, whichever is less. A district that admits a person to school under this section must have a reasonable expectation that the person can obtain a diploma within two years.

HIST: Ex1959 c 71 art 1 s 6; 1967 c 173 s 1; 1974 c 529 s 1; 1984 c 463 art 5 s 2; 1Sp1985 c 12 art 7 s 2; 1987 c 258 s 12; 1988 c 718 art 6 s 1; 1989 c 246 s 2; 1989 c 329 art 7 s 1; 1993 c 224 art 4 s 7; 1996 c 412 art 13 s 3; 1998 c 397 art 1 s 7,8,58; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 2 s 3

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes