Minnesota Legislature
Office of the Revisor of Statutes
2023 Minnesota Statutes
CHAPTER 125B. EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY
| Section | Headnote |
|---|---|
| 125B.01 | DEFINITIONS. |
| 125B.02 | STATE GOALS FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN EDUCATION. |
| 125B.022 | CONTRACTS FOR COMPUTERS OR RELATED EQUIPMENT OR SERVICE. |
| 125B.05 | STATE INFORMATION SYSTEM. |
| 125B.07 | DEPARTMENT DUTIES. |
| 125B.09 | DEPARTMENT POWERS AND DUTIES DELEGATED. |
| 125B.11 | [Repealed, 1Sp2003 c 9 art 4 s 32] |
| 125B.15 | INTERNET ACCESS FOR STUDENTS. |
| 125B.20 | Subdivisions renumbered, repealed, or no longer in effect |
| 125B.21 | [Repealed, 2007 c 133 art 2 s 13] |
| 125B.25 | [Expired] |
| 125B.26 | TELECOMMUNICATIONS/INTERNET ACCESS EQUITY AID. |
125B.01 DEFINITIONS.
For the purpose of this chapter, the terms defined in section 120A.05 have the same meanings.
History:
125B.02 STATE GOALS FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN EDUCATION.
The general framework outcomes for technology use in education are:
(1) all Minnesota educational institutions, libraries, and communities will have access to local, state, and worldwide instructional resources databases;
(2) development of policies and procedures that assure instructional resource availability to help students successfully achieve education excellence and state standards;
(3) databases are accessible within each district and on the Internet; and
(4) development of policies, procedures, and systems that stimulate and promote teacher and student curriculum and learning collaboration.
History:
125B.022 CONTRACTS FOR COMPUTERS OR RELATED EQUIPMENT OR SERVICE.
(a) The school board of a school district may not enter into a contract or permit a school within the district to enter into a contract for the use of a computer or related equipment or service that requires advertising to be disseminated to students unless the school board:
(1) enters into the contract at a public hearing of the school board;
(2) makes a finding that the offered electronic product or service is an integral component of students' education;
(3) provides written notice to students' parents that advertising will be used in the classroom, media center, computer lab, or other areas of learning, whether data will be collected on students, and how that data will be used;
(4) as part of normal, ongoing district communications with parents, allows parents to request in writing that (i) their student not be exposed to the program that contains the advertising for the current school year, or that (ii) any or all data relating to the student that is collected as a result of this contract is not disclosed; and
(5) honors parents' request, under clause (4), that their student not be exposed to the advertising program or that data relating to the student is not disclosed and allows parents to withdraw their request at any time.
(b) Advertising under this section does not include:
(1) the identification of the source of the document or information; and
(2) advertising that is generally available to the public viewing a particular site or application and is not directed specifically to students benefiting from a contract under paragraph (a).
History:
125B.05 STATE INFORMATION SYSTEM.
Subdivision 1.Information system.
The Department of Education shall develop and maintain a computerized information system for state information needs.
Subd. 2.Purposes.
The purposes of the computerized information system shall be:
(a) To provide comparable and accurate educational information in a manner which is timely and economical;
(b) To ensure accountability for state appropriations;
(c) To collect data to assess the needs of learners and children;
(d) To provide school districts with an educational information system capability which will meet school district management needs; and
(e) To provide for computerized analysis of educational information to meet the management needs of the state of Minnesota.
Subd. 3.Software development.
A school district, charter school, or cooperative unit may not implement a financial, student, or staff software system until the system has been reviewed by the department to ensure that it provides the required data elements and format.
History:
1980 c 609 art 7 s 10; 1981 c 193 s 1-3; 1981 c 253 s 24; 1981 c 358 art 5 s 2; 1982 c 424 s 130; 1983 c 258 s 24; 1Sp1985 c 12 art 7 s 9; 1987 c 258 s 12; 1987 c 384 art 2 s 1; 1988 c 486 s 11; 1989 c 329 art 11 s 2-4; 1990 c 562 art 8 s 9,10; 1991 c 265 art 9 s 15-17; 1993 c 224 art 6 s 3; 1994 c 465 art 2 s 1; 1994 c 647 art 6 s 1; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 9 s 9; art 16 s 13; 1998 c 397 art 4 s 51; 1999 c 241 art 5 s 15; 2003 c 130 s 12
125B.07 DEPARTMENT DUTIES.
Subdivision 1.Data acquisition calendar.
The Department of Education shall maintain a current annual data acquisition calendar specifying the reports which districts are required to provide to the department and the dates these reports are due.
Subd. 2.Exemption from chapter 14.
The annual data acquisition calendar and the essential data elements are exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act.
Subd. 3.Data system.
The department shall develop and operate a computerized data system. The system shall include: (1) information required by federal or state law or rule; and (2) information needed by the divisions of the department in order to disburse funds, to implement research or special projects approved by the commissioner, and to meet goals or provide information required by the commissioner, the governor, the legislature or the federal government.
Subd. 4.Certification of software vendors.
The commissioner shall maintain a list of certified service providers for administrative data processing software and support. To be certified, a service provider must provide the commissioner with a written statement identifying software products and support functions that will be provided to school districts and stating its intent to meet state standards for software, data elements, edits, and support services. The standards must ensure the quality of the data reported to the state. The commissioner must conduct regular training sessions for service providers on the standards. If a service provider fails to meet the standards, the commissioner must notify the service provider of areas of noncompliance and assist the service provider in correcting the problem. If the provider fails to comply with standards within two months of being notified of noncompliance, the commissioner may remove the service provider from the list of certified providers. The commissioner may recertify a service provider when the commissioner determines that the areas of noncompliance have been corrected.
Subd. 5.Information on certified service providers.
The commissioner must include the list of certified service providers in the annual data acquisition calendar. The commissioner must notify school districts if a service provider is removed from the list and of the areas of noncompliance.
Subd. 6.Essential data.
The department shall maintain a list of essential data elements which must be recorded and stored about each pupil, licensed and nonlicensed staff member, and educational program. Each school district must provide the essential data to the department in the form and format prescribed by the department.
Subd. 7.Contracting.
The department may provide by contract for the technical support of and the development of applications software by a regional management information center or by any other appropriate provider.
History:
1980 c 609 art 7 s 11; 1981 c 253 s 25; 1982 c 424 s 130; 1987 c 398 art 7 s 14,15; 1991 c 265 art 9 s 18-20; 1992 c 499 art 6 s 1,2; 1993 c 224 art 14 s 6; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 9 s 10; art 16 s 13; 1998 c 397 art 4 s 51; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55; 2003 c 130 s 12
125B.09 DEPARTMENT POWERS AND DUTIES DELEGATED.
The department may provide, by the delegation of powers and duties or by contract, for the implementation and technical support of a computerized information reporting system, including the development of applications software pursuant to section 125B.05, subdivision 3, by any appropriate provider.
History:
1980 c 609 art 7 s 12; 1987 c 258 s 3; 1990 c 375 s 3; 1991 c 265 art 9 s 21; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 9 s 11; 1998 c 397 art 4 s 51; art 11 s 3
125B.15 INTERNET ACCESS FOR STUDENTS.
(a) Recognizing the difference between school libraries, school computer labs, and school media centers, which serve unique educational purposes, and public libraries, which are designed for public inquiry, all computers at a school site with access to the Internet available for student use must be equipped to restrict, including by use of available software filtering technology or other effective methods, all student access to material that is reasonably believed to be obscene or child pornography or material harmful to minors under federal or state law.
(b) A school site is not required to purchase filtering technology if the school site would incur more than incidental expense in making the purchase.
(c) A school district receiving technology revenue under section 125B.26 must prohibit, including through use of available software filtering technology or other effective methods, adult access to material that under federal or state law is reasonably believed to be obscene or child pornography.
(d) A school district, its agents or employees, are immune from liability for failure to comply with this section if they have made a good faith effort to comply with the requirements of this section.
(e) "School site" means an education site as defined in section 123B.04, subdivision 1, or charter school under chapter 124E.
125B.20
125B.26 TELECOMMUNICATIONS/INTERNET ACCESS EQUITY AID.
Subdivision 1.Costs to be submitted.
(a) A district, charter school, or intermediate school district shall submit its actual telecommunications/Internet access costs for the previous fiscal year, adjusted for any e-rate revenue received, to the department by August 15 of each year as prescribed by the commissioner. Costs eligible for reimbursement under this program are limited to the following:
(1) ongoing or recurring telecommunications/Internet access costs associated with Internet access, data lines, and video links providing:
(i) the equivalent of one data line, video link, or integrated data/video link that relies on a transport medium that operates at a minimum speed of 1.544 megabytes per second (T1) for each elementary school, middle school, or high school under section 120A.05, subdivisions 9, 11, and 13, including the recurring telecommunications line lease costs and ongoing Internet access service fees; or
(ii) the equivalent of one data line or video circuit, or integrated data/video link that relies on a transport medium that operates at a minimum speed of 1.544 megabytes per second (T1) for each district, including recurring telecommunications line lease costs and ongoing Internet access service fees;
(2) recurring costs of contractual or vendor-provided maintenance on the school district's wide area network to the point of presence at the school building up to the router, codec, or other service delivery equipment located at the point of presence termination at the school or school district;
(3) recurring costs of cooperative, shared arrangements for regional delivery of telecommunications/Internet access between school districts, postsecondary institutions, and public libraries including network gateways, peering points, regional network infrastructure, Internet2 access, and network support, maintenance, and coordination; and
(4) service provider installation fees for installation of new telecommunications lines or increased bandwidth.
(b) Costs not eligible for reimbursement under this program include:
(1) recurring costs of school district staff providing network infrastructure support;
(2) recurring costs associated with voice and standard telephone service;
(3) costs associated with purchase of network hardware, telephones, computers, or other peripheral equipment needed to deliver telecommunications access to the school or school district;
(4) costs associated with laying fiber for telecommunications access;
(5) costs associated with wiring school or school district buildings;
(6) costs associated with purchase, installation, or purchase and installation of Internet filtering; and
(7) costs associated with digital content, including online learning or distance learning programming, and information databases.
Subd. 2.E-rates.
To be eligible for aid under this section, a district, charter school, or intermediate school district is required to file an e-rate application either separately or through its telecommunications access cluster. Discounts received on telecommunications expenditures shall be reflected in the costs submitted to the department for aid under this section.
Subd. 3.Reimbursement criteria.
The commissioner shall develop criteria for approving costs submitted by organized school districts, charter schools, and intermediate school districts under subdivision 1.
Subd. 4.District aid.
For fiscal year 2006 and later, a district, charter school, or intermediate school district's Internet access equity aid equals the district, charter school, or intermediate school district's approved cost for the previous fiscal year according to subdivision 1 exceeding $16 times the district's adjusted pupil units for the previous fiscal year or no reduction if the district is part of an organized telecommunications access cluster. Equity aid must be distributed to the telecommunications access cluster for districts, charter schools, or intermediate school districts that are members of the cluster or to individual districts, charter schools, or intermediate school districts not part of a telecommunications access cluster.
Subd. 5.Telecommunications/Internet access services for nonpublic schools.
(a) Districts shall provide each year upon formal request by or on behalf of a nonpublic school, not including home schools, located in that district or area, ongoing or recurring telecommunications access services to the nonpublic school either through existing district providers or through separate providers.
(b) The amount of district aid for telecommunications access services for each nonpublic school under this subdivision equals the lesser of:
(1) 90 percent of the nonpublic school's approved cost for the previous fiscal year according to subdivision 1 exceeding $10 for fiscal year 2006 and later times the number of weighted pupils enrolled at the nonpublic school as of October 1 of the previous school year; or
(2) the product of the district's aid per pupil unit according to subdivision 4 times the number of weighted pupils enrolled at the nonpublic school as of October 1 of the previous school year.
(c) For purposes of this subdivision, nonpublic school pupils shall be weighted by grade level using the weighting factors defined in section 126C.05, subdivision 1.
(d) Each year, a district providing services under paragraph (a) may claim up to five percent of the aid determined in paragraph (b) for costs of administering this subdivision. No district may expend an amount for these telecommunications access services which exceeds the amount allocated under this subdivision. The nonpublic school is responsible for the Internet access costs not covered by this section.
(e) At the request of a nonpublic school, districts may allocate the amount determined in paragraph (b) directly to the nonpublic school to pay for or offset the nonpublic school's costs for telecommunications access services; however, the amount allocated directly to the nonpublic school may not exceed the actual amount of the school's ongoing or recurring telecommunications access costs.
Subd. 6.Severability.
If any portion of this section is found by a court to be unconstitutional, the remaining portions of the section shall remain in effect.
Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes