2000 Minnesota Statutes

     124D.16 School readiness aid. 

    Subdivision 1.    Program review and approval.  A school 
 district shall biennially by May 1 submit to the commissioners 
 of children, families, and learning and health the program plan 
 required under this subdivision.  As determined by the 
 commissioners, one-half of the districts shall first submit the 
 plan by May 1 of the 2000-2001 school year and one-half of the 
 districts shall first submit the plan by May 1 of the 2001-2002 
 school year.  The program plan must include: 

    (1) a description of the services to be provided; 

    (2) a plan to ensure children at greatest risk receive 
 appropriate services; 

    (3) a description of procedures and methods to be used to 
 coordinate public and private resources to maximize use of 
 existing community resources, including school districts, health 
 care facilities, government agencies, neighborhood 
 organizations, and other resources knowledgeable in early 
 childhood development; 

    (4) comments about the district's proposed program by the 
 advisory council required by section 124D.15, subdivision 7; and 

    (5) agreements with all participating service providers.  

    Each commissioner may review and comment on the program, 
 and make recommendations to the commissioner of children, 
 families, and learning, within 30 days of receiving the plan. 

    Subd. 2.    Amount of aid.  (a) A district is eligible 
 to receive school readiness aid if the program plan as required 
 by subdivision 1 has been approved by the commissioner. 

    (b) For fiscal year 1998 and thereafter, a district must 
 receive school readiness aid equal to: 

    (1) the number of eligible four-year old children in the 
 district times the ratio of 50 percent of the total school 
 readiness aid for that year to the total number of eligible 
 four-year old children reported to the commissioner for that 
 year; plus 

    (2) the number of pupils enrolled in the school district 
 from families eligible for the free or reduced school lunch 
 program times the ratio of 50 percent of the total school 
 readiness aid for that year to the total number of pupils in the 
 state from families eligible for the free or reduced school 
 lunch program. 

    Subd. 3.    Use of aid.  School readiness aid shall be 
 used only to provide a school readiness program and may be used 
 to provide transportation.  Not more than five percent of the 
 aid may be used for the cost of administering the program.  Aid 
 must be used to supplement and not supplant local, state, and 
 federal funding.  Aid may not be used for instruction and 
 services required under sections 125A.03 to 125A.24 and 125A.65. 
 Aid may not be used to purchase land or construct buildings, but 
 may be used to lease or renovate existing buildings. 

    Subd. 4.    Separate accounts.  The district must 
 deposit school readiness aid in a separate account within the 
 community education fund.  

    HIST: 1991 c 265 art 7 s 13; 1992 c 363 art 2 s 5; 1992 c 499 
 art 7 s 2; 1993 c 224 art 4 s 22,23; 1994 c 483 s 1; 1Sp1995 c 3 
 art 16 s 13; 1997 c 162 art 4 s 59,60; 1998 c 397 art 3 s 
 74,75,103; art 11 s 3; 1999 c 205 art 1 s 70; 2000 c 489 art 1 s 
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