2007 Minnesota Statutes

124D.081 FIRST-GRADE PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM.
    Subdivision 1. Purpose. The purposes of the first-grade preparedness program are to
ensure that every child has the opportunity before first grade to develop the skills and abilities
necessary to read and succeed in school and to reduce the underlying causes that create a need
for compensatory revenue.
    Subd. 2. Qualifying district. A school district may receive first-grade preparedness revenue
for qualifying school sites if, consistent with subdivision 5, the school board approves a
resolution requiring the district to provide services to all children located in a qualifying school
site attendance area.
    Subd. 3. Qualifying school site. (a) The commissioner shall rank all school sites with
kindergarten programs that do not exclusively serve students under sections 125A.03 to 125A.24,
and 125A.65. The ranking must be from highest to lowest based on the site's free and reduced
lunch count as a percent of the fall enrollment using the preceding October 1 enrollment data.
Once a school site is calculated to be eligible, it remains eligible for the duration of the pilot
program, unless the site's ranking falls below the state average for elementary schools. For each
school site, the percentage used to calculate the ranking must be the greater of (1) the percent of
the fall kindergarten enrollment receiving free and reduced lunch, or (2) the percent of the total
fall enrollment receiving free and reduced lunch. The list of ranked sites must be separated into
the following geographic areas: Minneapolis district, St. Paul district, suburban Twin Cities
districts in the seven-county metropolitan area, and school districts in greater Minnesota.
(b) The commissioner shall establish a process and timelines to qualify school sites for the
next school year. School sites must be qualified in each geographic area from the list of ranked
sites until the estimated revenue available for this program has been allocated. The total estimated
revenue must be distributed to qualified school sites in each geographic area as follows: 25
percent for Minneapolis sites, 25 percent for St. Paul sites, 25 percent for suburban Twin Cities
sites, and 25 percent for greater Minnesota.
    Subd. 4. Program. A qualifying school site must develop its first-grade preparedness
program in collaboration with other providers of school readiness and child development services.
A school site must offer a full-day kindergarten program to participating children who are five
years of age or older for the full school day every day, a program for participating children who
are four years old, or a combination of both. The program may offer as an option to families home
visits and other practices as appropriate, and may provide such services with the consent of
the parent or guardian. Program providers must ensure that the program supplements existing
school readiness and child development programs and complements the services provided
with compensatory revenue. Where possible, individuals receiving assistance under a family
assistance plan can meet the work activity requirement of the plan by participating in a first-grade
preparedness program as a volunteer.
    Subd. 5. Extended day requirements. The board of a qualifying school district must
develop and approve a plan to provide extended day services to serve as many children as
possible. To accept children whose families participate in child care assistance programs under
section 119B.03 or 119B.05, and to meet the requirements of section 245A.03, subdivision 2, the
board must formally approve the first-grade preparedness program. All revenue received under
subdivision 6 must be allocated to the qualifying school sites within the district.
    Subd. 6. Preparedness revenue. (a) A qualifying school district is eligible for first-grade
preparedness revenue equal to the basic formula allowance for that year times the number of
children five years of age or older enrolled in a kindergarten program at the site on October 1 of
the previous year times .53.
(b) This revenue must supplement and not replace compensatory revenue that the district
uses for the same or similar purposes under chapters 120B, 123A, 123B, 124D, 126C, and 127A.
(c) A pupil enrolled in the first grade preparedness program at a qualifying school site is
eligible for transportation under section 123B.88, subdivision 1.
(d) First grade preparedness revenue paid to a charter school for which a school district is
providing transportation according to section 124D.10, subdivision 16, shall be decreased by an
amount equal to the product of the formula allowance according to section 126C.10, subdivision
2 , times .0485 times the pupil units calculated according to paragraph (a). This amount shall be
paid to the school district for transportation costs.
    Subd. 7.[Repealed, 1999 c 241 art 2 s 62]
    Subd. 8.[Repealed, 1999 c 241 art 2 s 62]
    Subd. 9. Reserve account. First grade preparedness revenue must be placed in a reserve
account within the general fund and may only be used for first grade preparedness programs
at qualifying school sites.
History: 1996 c 412 art 1 s 11; 1Sp1997 c 4 art 2 s 5-7; 1998 c 397 art 11 s 3; 1999 c 241
art 2 s 9; 2000 c 489 art 6 s 17; 1Sp2003 c 9 art 2 s 15