1997 Minnesota Statutes

     122.241 Cooperation and combination. 

    Subdivision 1.    Scope.  Sections 122.241 to 122.248 
 establish procedures for school boards that adopt, by 
 resolution, a five-year written agreement: 

    (1) to provide at least secondary instruction cooperatively 
 for at least one or two years, if the districts cooperate 
 according to subdivision 2; and 

    (2) to combine into one district.  

    Subd. 2.    Cooperation requirements.  Cooperating 
 districts shall: 

    (1) implement a written agreement according to section 
 122.541 no later than the first year of cooperation; 

    (2) all be members of one education district, if any one of 
 the districts is a member, no later than the end of the second 
 year of cooperation; and 

    (3) all be members of one SC, if any one of the districts 
 is a member. 

    Clause (1) does not apply to a district that implemented an 
 agreement for secondary education, according to section 122.535, 
 during any year before the 1991-1992 school year.  If the 
 districts cooperate for one or more years, the agreement may be 
 continued during those years. 

    Subd. 3.    Combination requirements.  Combining 
 districts must be contiguous and meet one of the following 
 requirements at the time of combination:  

    (1) at least two districts with at least 400 resident 
 pupils enrolled in grades 7 through 12 in the combined district 
 and projections, approved by the department of children, 
 families, and learning, of enrollment at least at that level for 
 five years; 

    (2) at least two districts if either: 

    (i) both of the districts qualify for secondary sparsity 
 revenue under section 124A.22, subdivision 6, and have an 
 average isolation index over 23; or 

    (ii) the combined district qualifies for secondary sparsity 
 revenue; 

    (3) at least three districts with fewer than 400 resident 
 pupils enrolled in grades 7 through 12 in the combined district; 
 or 

    (4) at least two districts with fewer than 400 resident 
 pupils enrolled in grades 7 through 12 in the combined district 
 if either district is located on the border of the state. 

    A combination under clause (2), (3), or (4) must be 
 approved by the commissioner of children, families, and 
 learning.  The commissioner shall disapprove a combination under 
 clause (2), (3), or (4) if the combination is educationally 
 unsound or would not reasonably enable the districts to fulfill 
 statutory and rule requirements. 

    HIST: 1989 c 329 art 6 s 5; 1989 c 356 s 48; 1990 c 562 art 6 
 s 4; 1991 c 265 art 6 s 10,11; 1992 c 499 art 6 s 8; 1993 c 224 
 art 13 s 14; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1996 c 305 art 1 s 138