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Chapter 127A

Section 127A.45

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127A.45 Payment of aids and credits to school districts.

Subdivision 1. Applicability. This section applies to all aids or credits paid by the commissioner from the general fund to districts.

Subd. 2. Definitions. (a) The term "other district receipts" means payments by county treasurers pursuant to section 276.10, apportionments from the school endowment fund pursuant to section 127A.33, apportionments by the county auditor pursuant to section 127A.34, subdivision 2, and payments to school districts by the commissioner of revenue pursuant to chapter 298.

(b) The term "cumulative amount guaranteed" means the product of

(1) the cumulative disbursement percentage shown in subdivision 3; times

(2) the sum of

(i) 80 percent of the estimated aid and credit entitlements paid according to subdivision 13; plus

(ii) 100 percent of the entitlements paid according to subdivisions 11 and 12; plus

(iii) the other district receipts.

(c) The term "payment date" means the date on which state payments to districts are made by the electronic funds transfer method. If a payment date falls on a Saturday, a Sunday, or a weekday which is a legal holiday, the payment shall be made on the immediately preceding business day. The commissioner may make payments on dates other than those listed in subdivision 3, but only for portions of payments from any preceding payment dates which could not be processed by the electronic funds transfer method due to documented extenuating circumstances.

Subd. 3. Payment dates and percentages. (a) For fiscal year 2004 and later, the commissioner shall pay to a district on the dates indicated an amount computed as follows: the cumulative amount guaranteed minus the sum of (a) the district's other district receipts through the current payment, and (b) the aid and credit payments through the immediately preceding payment. For purposes of this computation, the payment dates and the cumulative disbursement percentages are as follows:

Payment date Percentage Payment 1 July 15: 5.5 Payment 2 July 30: 8.0 Payment 3 August 15: 17.5 Payment 4 August 30: 20.0 Payment 5 September 15: 22.5 Payment 6 September 30: 25.0 Payment 7 October 15: 27.0 Payment 8 October 30: 30.0 Payment 9 November 15: 32.5 Payment 10 November 30: 36.5 Payment 11 December 15: 42.0 Payment 12 December 30: 45.0 Payment 13 January 15: 50.0 Payment 14 January 30: 54.0 Payment 15 February 15: 58.0 Payment 16 February 28: 63.0 Payment 17 March 15: 68.0 Payment 18 March 30: 74.0 Payment 19 April 15: 78.0 Payment 20 April 30: 85.0 Payment 21 May 15: 90.0 Payment 22 May 30: 95.0 Payment 23 June 20: 100.0

(b) In addition to the amounts paid under paragraph (a), for fiscal year 2004, the commissioner shall pay to a district on the dates indicated an amount computed as follows:

Payment 3 August 15: the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for the state paid property tax credits established in section 273.1392

Payment 4 August 30: one-third of the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for all aid entitlements except state paid property tax credits

Payment 6 September 30: one-third of the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for all aid entitlements except state paid property tax credits

Payment 8 October 30: one-third of the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for all aid entitlements except state paid property tax credits

(c) In addition to the amounts paid under paragraph (a), for fiscal year 2005 and later, the commissioner shall pay to a district on the dates indicated an amount computed as follows:

Payment 3 August 15: the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for the state paid property tax credits established in section 273.1392

Payment 4 August 30: 30 percent of the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for all aid entitlements except state paid property tax credits

Payment 6 September 30: 40 percent of the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for all aid entitlements except state paid property tax credits

Payment 8 October 30: 30 percent of the final adjustment for the prior fiscal year for all aid entitlements except state paid property tax credits

Subd. 4. Appeal. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of finance, may revise the payment dates and percentages in subdivision 3 for a district if it is determined that:

(1) there is an emergency; or

(2) there are serious cash flow problems in the district that cannot be resolved by issuing warrants or other forms of indebtedness; or

(3) the district is facing a serious cash flow problem because of an abatement that exceeds $100 times the resident pupil units of the district.

(b) The commissioner shall establish a process and criteria for districts to appeal the payment dates and percentages established in subdivision 3.

Subd. 5. Repealed, 1999 c 241 art 6 s 15

Subd. 6. Cash flow waiver. For any district exceeding its expenditure limitations under section 123B.83, and if requested by the district, the commissioner of education, in consultation with the commissioner of finance, and a school district may negotiate a cash flow payment schedule under subdivision 3 corresponding to the district's cash flow needs so as to minimize the district's short-term borrowing needs.

Subd. 7. Payment limit. Subdivision 3 does not authorize the commissioner to pay to a district's operating funds an amount of state general fund cash that exceeds the sum of:

(a) its estimated aid and credit payments for the current year according to subdivision 13;

(b) its actual aid payments according to subdivisions 11 and 12; and

(c) the final adjustment payment for the prior year.

Subd. 7a. Advance final payment. (a) Notwithstanding subdivisions 3 and 7, a school district or a charter school exceeding its expenditure limitations under section 123B.83 as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year may receive a portion of its final payment for the current fiscal year on June 20, if requested by the district. The amount paid under this subdivision must not exceed the lesser of:

(1) seven percent of the district or charter school's general education aid for the current fiscal year; or

(2) the amount by which the district or charter school's net negative unreserved general fund balance as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year exceeds 2.5 percent of the district or charter school's expenditures for that fiscal year.

(b) The state total advance final payment under this subdivision for any year must not exceed $12,000,000. If the amount requested exceeds $12,000,000, the advance final payment for each eligible district must be reduced proportionately.

Subd. 8. Commissioner's assumptions. For purposes of determining the amount of state general fund cash to be paid to districts pursuant to subdivision 3, the commissioner shall:

(1) assume that the payments to school districts by the county treasurer of revenues accruing to the fiscal year of receipt pursuant to section 276.11 are made in the following manner:

(i) 50 percent within seven business days of each due date; and

(ii) 100 percent within 14 business days of each due date;

(2) assume that the payments to districts by the county treasurer of revenues accruing to the fiscal year of receipt pursuant to section 276.111 are made in the following manner:

(i) 50 percent within seven business days of the October 15 due date;

(ii) 100 percent within 14 business days of the October 15 due date; and

(iii) 100 percent within ten business days of the November 15 due date; and

(3) assume that the payments to school districts by county auditors pursuant to section 127A.34, subdivision 2, are made at the end of the months indicated in that subdivision.

Subd. 9. Final adjustment payment. (a) For all aids and credits paid according to subdivision 13, the final adjustment payment must include the amounts necessary to pay the district's full aid entitlement for the prior year based on actual data. This payment must be used to correct all estimates used for the payment schedule in subdivision 3. The payment must be made as specified in subdivision 3. In the event actual data are not available, the final adjustment payment may be computed based on estimated data. A corrected final adjustment payment must be made when actual data are available.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) and subdivision 3, for a charter school that ceases operation before the end of a school year, a final adjustment payment for aid programs funded with an open appropriation may be made after audit of the prior fiscal year and current fiscal year pupil counts.

Subd. 10. Payments to school nonoperating funds. Each fiscal year state general fund payments for a district nonoperating fund must be made at 80 percent of the estimated entitlement during the fiscal year of the entitlement. This amount shall be paid in 12 equal monthly installments. The amount of the actual entitlement, after adjustment for actual data, minus the payments made during the fiscal year of the entitlement must be paid prior to October 31 of the following school year. The commissioner may make advance payments of debt service equalization aid for a district's debt service fund earlier than would occur under the preceding schedule if the district submits evidence showing a serious cash flow problem in the fund. The commissioner may make earlier payments during the year and, if necessary, increase the percent of the entitlement paid to reduce the cash flow problem.

Subd. 11. Payment percentage for reimbursement aids. One hundred percent of the aid for the previous fiscal year must be paid in the current year for the following aids: special education special pupil aid according to section 125A.75, subdivision 3, aid for litigation costs according to section 125A.75, subdivision 8, aid for court-placed special education expenses according to section 125A.79, subdivision 4, and aid for special education out-of-state tuition according to section 125A.79, subdivision 8.

Subd. 12. Payment percentage for certain aids. (a) One hundred percent of the aid for the current fiscal year must be paid for the following aids: reimbursement for enrollment options transportation, according to sections 124D.03, subdivision 8, 124D.09, subdivision 22, and 124D.10; school lunch aid, according to section 124D.111; hearing impaired support services aid, according to section 124D.57; and Indian postsecondary preparation grants according to section 124D.80.

(b) One hundred percent of the aid for the current fiscal year, based on enrollment in the previous year, must be paid for the first grade preparedness program according to section 124D.081.

Subd. 12a. Forward shifted aid payments. (a) Nineteen percent of the state aid in fiscal year 1999, and 31 percent of the state aid in fiscal years 2000 and later received under section 124D.86 must be paid by the state to the recipient school district on July 15 of that year. The recipient school district must recognize this aid in the same fiscal year as the levy is recognized.

(b) One hundred percent of the state aid in fiscal years 2003 and later received under section 124D.87 must be paid by the state to the recipient school district on August 30 of that year. The recipient school district must recognize this aid in the previous fiscal year.

Subd. 13. Aid payment percentage. Except as provided in subdivisions 11, 12, 12a, and 14, each fiscal year, all education aids and credits in this chapter and chapters 120A, 120B, 121A, 122A, 123A, 123B, 124D, 125A, 125B, 126C, 134, and section 273.1392, shall be paid at 80 percent of the estimated entitlement during the fiscal year of the entitlement. For the purposes of this subdivision, a district's estimated entitlement for special education excess cost aid under section 125A.79 equals 70 percent of the district's entitlement for the second prior fiscal year. The final adjustment payment, according to subdivision 9, must be the amount of the actual entitlement, after adjustment for actual data, minus the payments made during the fiscal year of the entitlement.

Subd. 14. Nonpublic aids. The state shall pay aid according to sections 123B.40 to 123B.48 for pupils attending nonpublic schools as follows:

(1) an advance payment by November 30 equal to 80 percent of the estimated entitlement for the current fiscal year; and

(2) a final payment by October 31 of the following fiscal year, adjusted for actual data.

If a payment advance to meet cash flow needs is requested by a district and approved by the commissioner, the state shall pay nonpublic pupil transportation aid according to section 123B.92 by October 31.

Subd. 14a. State nutrition programs. Notwithstanding subdivision 3, the state shall pay 100 percent of the aid for the current year according to sections 124D.111, 124D.1158, and 124D.118 based on submitted monthly vouchers showing meals and milk served.

Subd. 15. Education aids cash flow account. (a) An education aids cash flow account is established in the state treasury for the purpose of ensuring the timely payment of state aids or credits to districts as provided in this section. In the event the account balance in any appropriation from the general fund to the department for education aids or credits is insufficient to make the next scheduled payment or payments, the commissioner is authorized to transfer funds from the education aids cash flow account to the accounts that are insufficient.

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, an account may have an insufficient balance only as a result of some districts being overpaid based on revised estimates for the relevant annual aid or credit entitlements. When the overpayment amounts are recovered from the pertinent districts, the commissioner shall transfer those amounts to the education aids cash flow account. The commissioner shall determine when it is not feasible to recover the overpayments in a timely manner from the district's future aid payments and notify the district of the amount that is to be refunded to the state. Districts are encouraged to make such refunds promptly. The commissioner may approve a schedule for making a refund when a district demonstrates that its cash flow is inadequate to promptly make the refund in full.

(c) There is annually appropriated from the general fund to the education aids cash flow account the additional amount necessary to ensure the timely payment of state aids or credits to districts as provided in this section. For any fiscal year, the appropriation authorized in this subdivision must not exceed an amount equal to two-tenths of one percent of the total general fund appropriations in that year for education aids and credits. At the close of each fiscal year, the amount of actual transfers plus anticipated transfers required in paragraph (b) must equal the authorized amounts transferred in paragraph (a) so that the net effect on total general fund spending for education aids and credits is zero.

Subd. 16. Payments to third parties. Notwithstanding subdivision 3, 80 percent of the amounts under section 123A.26, subdivision 3, shall be paid in equal installments on August 30, December 30, and March 30, with a 20 percent final adjustment payment on October 30 of the next fiscal year.

HIST: 1983 c 342 art 7 s 3; 1984 c 463 art 9 s 4-6; 1984 c 655 art 1 s 25; 1Sp1985 c 12 art 10 s 3-7; 1Sp1986 c 1 art 4 s 8; art 5 s 6,7; art 9 s 3; 1987 c 268 art 9 s 4; 1987 c 384 art 2 s 29,30; 1987 c 398 art 6 s 2; art 7 s 25; 1988 c 486 s 31,32; 1989 c 329 art 8 s 2,3; 1990 c 562 art 1 s 2; art 3 s 13; art 6 s 20; art 8 s 26; 1990 c 604 art 3 s 4; 1991 c 130 s 10-14; 1991 c 199 art 2 s 9; 1991 c 265 art 2 s 3; art 5 s 5; 1992 c 499 art 1 s 7,8; 1993 c 224 art 6 s 8; art 7 s 9; art 8 s 1; art 14 s 9; 1994 c 465 art 2 s 12; 1994 c 647 art 1 s 7-10; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 1 s 12-14; art 16 s 13; 1996 c 412 art 1 s 9,10; 1997 c 231 art 9 s 3,4; 1Sp1997 c 4 art 1 s 15-18; art 3 s 12; 1998 c 397 art 4 s 27-37,51; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 1 s 9; 1999 c 241 art 2 s 49,50; art 6 s 10-12; 2000 c 254 s 48; 2000 c 489 art 2 s 25; 1Sp2001 c 6 art 2 s 58; art 5 s 6-8; 2002 c 374 art 1 s 2-9; 2003 c 130 s 12; 1Sp2003 c 9 art 5 s 14-21; art 12 s 16; 1Sp2003 c 18 art 5 s 2; 2004 c 228 art 3 s 2

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