2000 Minnesota Statutes

     125B.20 Telecommunication access grant and statewide 
  coordination. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment; purpose.  The purpose 
 of developing a statewide school district telecommunications 
 network is to expand the availability of a broad range of 
 courses and degrees to students throughout the state, to share 
 information resources to improve access, quality, and 
 efficiency, to improve learning, and distance cooperative 
 learning opportunities, and to promote the exchange of ideas 
 among students, parents, teachers, media generalists, 
 librarians, and the public.  In addition, through the 
 development of this statewide telecommunications network 
 emphasizing cost-effective, competitive connections, all 
 Minnesotans will benefit by enhancing access to 
 telecommunications technology throughout the state.  Network 
 connections for school districts and public libraries are 
 coordinated and fully integrated into the existing state 
 telecommunications and interactive television networks to 
 achieve comprehensive and efficient interconnectivity of school 
 districts and libraries to higher education institutions, state 
 agencies, other governmental units, agencies, and institutions 
 throughout Minnesota.  A school district may apply to the 
 commissioner for a grant under subdivision 2, and a regional 
 public library may apply under subdivision 3.  The Minnesota 
 education telecommunications council established in Laws 1995, 
 First Special Session chapter 3, article 12, section 7, shall 
 establish priorities for awarding grants, making grant awards, 
 and being responsible for the coordination of networks. 

    Subd. 2.    School district telecommunications grant.  
 (a) Priority will be given to a school district that has not 
 received access to interactive video, data connection, or both 
 under the telecommunications access grant program.  Districts 
 may apply for a grant under this subdivision to:  (1) establish 
 connections among school districts, and between school districts 
 and the state information infrastructure administered by the 
 department of administration under section 16B.465; or (2) if 
 such a connection meeting minimum electronic connectivity 
 standards is already established, enhance telecommunications 
 capacity for a school district.  A district may submit a grant 
 application for interactive television with higher capacity 
 connections in order to maintain multiple simultaneous 
 connections.  To ensure coordination among school districts, a 
 school district must submit its grant application to the council 
 through the telecommunications access grant cluster of which the 
 district is a member.  

    (b) The application must, at a minimum, contain information 
 to document for each applicant school district the following: 

    (1) that the proposed connection meets the minimum 
 standards and employs an open network architecture that will 
 ensure interconnectivity and interoperability with other 
 education institutions and libraries; 

    (2) that the proposed connection and system will be 
 connected to the state information infrastructure through the 
 department of administration under section 16B.465; 

    (3) that the proposed connection and system will be 
 connected to the higher education telecommunication network and 
 that a governance agreement has been adopted which includes 
 agreements between the school district system, a higher 
 education regional council, libraries, and coordinating 
 entities; 

    (4) the telecommunication vendor selected to provide 
 service from the district to a state information infrastructure 
 hub or to a more cost-effective connection point to the state 
 information infrastructure; and 

    (5) other information, as determined by the commissioner in 
 consultation with the education telecommunications council, to 
 ensure that connections are coordinated, meet state standards 
 and are cost-effective, and that service is provided in an 
 efficient and cost-effective manner. 

    (c) A school district may include, in its grant 
 application, telecommunications access for collaboration with 
 nonprofit arts organizations for the purpose of educational 
 programs, or access for a secondary media center that:  (1) is a 
 member of a multitype library system; (2) is open during periods 
 of the year when classroom instruction is occurring; and (3) has 
 licensed school media staff on site. 

    (d) The Minnesota education telecommunications council 
 shall award grants and the funds shall be dispersed by the 
 commissioner.  Grant applications must be submitted to the 
 commissioner by a telecommunications access grant cluster 
 organization.  For the purposes of the grant, a school district 
 may include a charter school under section 124D.10, or the 
 Minnesota state academies.  Based on the award made by the 
 council, all grants under this subdivision shall be paid by the 
 commissioner directly to a school district (unless this 
 application requests that the funds be paid to the coordinating 
 agency).  Nonpublic schools as defined in section 237.065, 
 subdivision 2, located within the district may access the 
 network.  The nonpublic school is responsible for actual costs 
 for connection from the school to the access site. 

    (e) Money awarded under this section may be used only for 
 the purposes explicitly stated in the grant application. 

    Subd. 3.    Regional library telecommunication grant.  
 (a) A regional public library system may apply for a 
 telecommunication access grant.  Priority will be given to 
 public libraries that have not received access to data 
 connection under the telecommunications access grant program.  
 The grant must be used to create or expand the capacity of 
 electronic data access and connect the library system with the 
 state information infrastructure administered by the department 
 of administration under section 16B.465.  To be eligible for a 
 telecommunications access grant, a regional public library 
 system must meet the level of local support required under 
 section 134.34. 

    (b) Any grant award under this subdivision may not be used 
 to substitute for any existing local funds allocated to provide 
 electronic access, or equipment for library staff or the public, 
 or local funds previously dedicated to other library operations. 

    (c) An application for a regional public library 
 telecommunications access grant must, at a minimum, contain 
 information to document the following: 

    (1) that the connection meets the minimum standards and 
 employs an open network architecture that will ensure 
 interconnectivity and interoperability with other libraries and 
 the educational system; 

    (2) that the connection is being established through the 
 most cost-effective means and that the public library has 
 explored and coordinated connections through school districts or 
 other governmental agencies; 

    (3) that the proposed connection and system will be 
 connected to the state information infrastructure through the 
 department of administration under section 16B.465; 

    (4) that the proposed connection and system will be 
 connected to the higher education and to the school district 
 telecommunication networks subject to a governance agreement 
 with one or more school districts and a higher education 
 regional council specifying how the system will be coordinated; 

    (5) the telecommunication vendor selected to provide 
 service from the library to a state information infrastructure 
 hub or through a more cost-effective connection point to the 
 state information infrastructure; and 

    (6) other information, as determined by the commissioner, 
 to ensure that connections are coordinated, meet state 
 standards, are cost-effective, and that service is provided in 
 an efficient and cost-effective manner so that libraries 
 throughout the state are connected in as seamless a manner as 
 technically possible. 

    Subd. 4.    Award of grants.  The council shall develop 
 application forms and procedures for telecommunication access 
 grants.  The council shall select the grant recipient and shall 
 promptly notify any applicant that is found not to be 
 qualified.  The commissioner shall make the grant payments 
 directly to the school district or regional library system.  At 
 the request of the district or regional library system, the 
 commissioner may make the grant payment directly to the 
 coordinating organization.  

    Subd. 5.    E-rates.  The telecommunication access grant 
 clusters are required to file e-rate applications for 
 telecommunication access grant-related expenditures on behalf of 
 grant participants in their clusters.  Discounts received on 
 telecommunication access grant expenditures shall be used to 
 offset or reduce operations funding provided by the state. 

    HIST: 1Sp1995 c 3 art 12 s 4; 1996 c 412 art 12 s 2,3; 1998 c 
 359 s 17,18; 1998 c 397 art 11 s 3; 1999 c 241 art 2 s 61; art 4 
 s 11 

*   NOTE:  This section is repealed by Laws 1997, First Special 
*Session chapter 4, article 9, section 13, as amended by Laws 
*1999, chapter 241, article 4, section 19, effective July 1, 2001.