2006 Minnesota Statutes

127A.41 DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL AIDS; APPROPRIATION.
    Subdivision 1. Commissioner duties. The commissioner shall supervise distribution of
school aids and grants in accordance with law. The commissioner may make rules consistent with
law for the distribution to enable districts to perform efficiently the services required by law and
further education in the state, including reasonable requirements for the reports and accounts to it
as will assure accurate and lawful apportionment of aids. State and federal aids and discretionary
or entitlement grants distributed by the commissioner shall not be subject to the contract
approval procedures of the commissioner of administration or to chapter 16A, 16B, or 16C. The
commissioner shall adopt internal procedures for administration and monitoring of aids and grants.
    Subd. 2. Errors in distribution. On determining that the amount of state aid distributed to a
school district is in error, the commissioner is authorized to adjust the amount of aid consistent
with this subdivision. On determining that the amount of aid is in excess of the school district's
entitlement, the commissioner is authorized to recover the amount of the excess by any appropriate
means. Notwithstanding the fiscal years designated by the appropriation, the excess may be
recovered by reducing future aid payments to the district. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary,
if the aid reduced is not of the same type as that overpaid, the district must adjust all necessary
financial accounts to properly reflect all revenues earned in accordance with the uniform financial
accounting and reporting standards pursuant to sections 123B.75 to 123B.83. Notwithstanding the
fiscal years designated by the appropriation, on determining that the amount of an aid paid is less
than the school district's entitlement, the commissioner is authorized to increase such aid from
the current appropriation. If the aid program has been discontinued and has no appropriation, the
appropriation for general education shall be used for recovery or payment of the aid decrease or
increase. Any excess of aid recovery over aid payment shall be canceled to the state general fund.
    Subd. 3. Audits. The commissioner shall establish procedures for conducting and shall
conduct audits of district records and files for the purpose of verifying district pupil counts, levy
limitations, and aid entitlements. The commissioner shall establish procedures for selecting and
shall select districts to be audited. Disparities, if any, between pupil counts, levy limitations, or
aid entitlements determined by audit of district records and files and data reported by districts
in reports, claims and other documents shall be reviewed by the commissioner who shall order
increases or decreases accordingly. Whenever possible, the commissioner shall audit at least 25
districts each year pursuant to this subdivision.
    Subd. 4. Less than 25 districts audited. If the commissioner audits fewer than 25 districts
in a fiscal year pursuant to subdivision 3, the commissioner shall report the reasons for the
number audited to the following legislative committees: house education, house appropriations,
senate education, and senate finance.
    Subd. 5. District appeal of aid reduction; inspection of district schools and accounts
and records. Public schools shall at all times be open to the inspection of the commissioner.
The accounts and records of any district must be open to inspection by the state auditor, or the
commissioner for the purpose of audits conducted under this section. Each district shall keep for
a minimum of three years at least the following: (1) identification of the annual session days
held, together with a record of the length of each session day, (2) a record of each pupil's daily
attendance, with entrance and withdrawal dates, and (3) identification of the to-and-from school
transportation category for each pupil as defined in section 123B.92, subdivision 1.
    Subd. 6.[Repealed, 1Sp2003 c 9 art 5 s 37]
    Subd. 7. Schedule adjustments. (a) It is the intention of the legislature to encourage efficient
and effective use of staff and facilities by districts. Districts are encouraged to consider both
cost and energy saving measures.
(b) Any district operating a program pursuant to sections 124D.12 to 124D.127, 124D.128,
or 124D.25 to 124D.29, or operating a commissioner-designated area learning center program
under section 123A.09, or that otherwise receives the approval of the commissioner to operate its
instructional program to avoid an aid reduction in any year, may adjust the annual school schedule
for that program throughout the calendar year.
    Subd. 8. Appropriation transfers. (a) If a direct appropriation from the general fund to
the department for any education aid or grant authorized in this chapter and chapters 122A,
123A, 123B, 124D, 125A, 126C, and 134, excluding appropriations under sections 124D.135,
124D.16, 124D.20, 124D.22, 124D.52, 124D.531, 124D.55, and 124D.56, exceeds the amount
required, the commissioner may transfer the excess to any education aid or grant appropriation
that is insufficient. However, section 126C.20 applies to a deficiency in the direct appropriation
for general education aid. Excess appropriations must be allocated proportionately among aids
or grants that have insufficient appropriations. The commissioner of finance shall make the
necessary transfers among appropriations according to the determinations of the commissioner. If
the amount of the direct appropriation for the aid or grant plus the amount transferred according
to this subdivision is insufficient, the commissioner shall prorate the available amount among
eligible districts. The state is not obligated for any additional amounts.
(b) Transfers for aids paid under section 127A.45, subdivisions 12, paragraph (a), 12a,
paragraph (a), and 13, shall be made during the fiscal year after the fiscal year of the entitlement.
Transfers for aids paid under section 127A.45, subdivisions 11, 12, paragraph (b), and 12a,
paragraph (b), shall be made during the fiscal year of the appropriation.
    Subd. 9. Appropriation transfers for community education programs. If a direct
appropriation from the general fund to the Department of Education for an education aid or
grant authorized under section 124D.135, 124D.16, 124D.20, 124D.22, 124D.52, 124D.531,
124D.55, or 124D.56 exceeds the amount required, the commissioner of education may transfer
the excess to any education aid or grant appropriation that is insufficiently funded under these
sections. Excess appropriations shall be allocated proportionately among aids or grants that have
insufficient appropriations. The commissioner of finance shall make the necessary transfers
among appropriations according to the determinations of the commissioner of education. If the
amount of the direct appropriation for the aid or grant plus the amount transferred according
to this subdivision is insufficient, the commissioner shall prorate the available amount among
eligible districts. The state is not obligated for any additional amounts.
    Subd. 10. Health and safety aid transfer. The commissioner, with the approval of the
commissioner of finance, annually may transfer an amount from the appropriation for health and
safety aid to the appropriation for debt service aid for the same fiscal year. The amount of the
transfer equals the amount necessary to fund any shortage in the debt service aid appropriation
created by a data correction that occurs between November 1 and June 30 of the preceding fiscal
year.
History: 1961 c 562 s 14; 1969 c 399 s 15,16; 1973 c 492 s 7; 1975 c 432 s 20; 1977 c 447
art 1 s 3; art 2 s 1; 1979 c 334 art 6 s 19; 1981 c 358 art 7 s 23-26; 1982 c 548 art 7 s 4; 1983 c
314 art 7 s 22; 1Sp1985 c 12 art 7 s 18; art 10 s 2; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 384 art 2 s 1; 1987 c 398
art 7 s 24; 1988 c 486 s 20; 1991 c 130 s 8; 1991 c 265 art 11 s 8; 1993 c 224 art 13 s 33,34; art
14 s 16; 1994 c 465 art 2 s 1; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 5 s 1; art 16 s 13; 1998 c 386 art 2 s 39; 1998 c
397 art 4 s 11-17,51; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 1 s 4,5; 1999 c 241 art 9 s 32; 2000 c 254 s 47;
2000 c 489 art 10 s 16,17; 1Sp2001 c 6 art 1 s 39; art 5 s 4; art 8 s 5; 2003 c 130 s 12; 2004 c
294 art 5 s 15; 1Sp2005 c 5 art 11 s 4; 2006 c 263 art 4 s 3