2001 Minnesota Statutes

     124D.892 Office of desegregation/integration. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment.  (a) An office of 
 desegregation/integration is established in the department of 
 children, families, and learning to coordinate and support 
 activities related to student enrollment, student and staff 
 recruitment and retention, transportation, and interdistrict 
 cooperation among school districts.  

    (b) At the request of a school district involved in 
 cooperative desegregation/integration efforts, the office shall 
 perform any of the following activities: 

    (1) assist districts with interdistrict student transfers, 
 including student recruitment, counseling, placement, and 
 transportation; 

    (2) coordinate and disseminate information about schools 
 and programs; 

    (3) assist districts with new magnet schools and programs; 

    (4) assist districts in providing staff development and 
 in-service training; and 

    (5) coordinate and administer staff exchanges. 

    (c) The office shall collect data on the efficacy of 
 districts' desegregation/integration efforts and make 
 recommendations based on the data.  The office shall 
 periodically consult with the metropolitan council to coordinate 
 metropolitan school desegregation/integration efforts with the 
 housing, social, economic, and infrastructure needs of the 
 metropolitan area.  The office shall develop a process for 
 resolving students' disputes and grievances about student 
 transfers under a desegregation/integration plan.  

    Subd. 2.    Coordination.  The commissioner may request 
 information or assistance from, or contract with, any state or 
 local agency or officer, local unit of government, or recognized 
 expert to assist the commissioner in performing the activities 
 described in subdivision 1.  

    Subd. 3.    Advisory board.  The commissioner shall 
 establish an advisory board composed of: 

    (1) nine superintendents, eight of whom are selected by the 
 superintendents of the school districts located in whole or in 
 part within each of the eight metropolitan districts established 
 under section 473.123, subdivision 3c, and one who is from a 
 district outside the seven-county metropolitan area that is 
 considered racially isolated or that has a racially isolated 
 school site according to Minnesota Rules, part 3535.0110; 

    (2) one person each selected by the Indian affairs council, 
 the council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, the council on Black 
 Minnesotans, and the council on affairs of Chicano/Latino 
 people; and 

    (3) the superintendent of independent school district No. 
 709, Duluth. 

    The advisory board shall advise the office on complying 
 with the requirements under subdivision 1.  The advisory board 
 may solicit comments from teachers, parents, students, and 
 interested community organizations and others. 

    The advisory board shall expire June 30, 2003.  

    HIST: 1994 c 647 art 8 s 2; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1997 c 7 
 art 3 s 3; 1998 c 397 art 4 s 51; 1998 c 398 art 6 s 13; 2000 c 
 489 art 3 s 7; 2001 c 7 s 32; 1Sp2001 c 6 art 2 s 50,51