Article 1

General Education

Sec. 1. Education, residence, and transportation of homeless (a) Changes "person of school age" to "pupil" for the purposes under this section.

(b) Changes the determination for the pupil’s district of residence to be the residence of the parent or legal guardian unless:

(1) parental rights have been terminated;

(2) the parent or guardian is not living within the state; or

(3) the parent or guardian is an inmate of a Minnesota correctional facility or a resident of a halfway house.

Designates the district of residence for these pupils as the district in which the pupil resided when the qualifying event occurred. 

Directs the commissioner of education to designate residency in the event of a dispute between districts. 

(c) Designates a district of residence responsibility and conditions for transportation of a homeless student. Requires the serving district to be responsible for transporting a homeless pupil from their residence.   Allows the district of residence to transport from a permanent home to a in another district, but only through the end of the academic year.   The district or school that provides transportation for other pupils enrolled in the charter school is responsible for providing transportation for homeless pupils enrolled in that school.   Requires the district of residence to be responsible for a homeless student with or without an individualized education program attending a public school other than an independent or special school district or charter school. 

Sec. 2. Assessment of performance.  Limits the age of children enrolled in home school who are required to be assessed using a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement examination to the compulsory age of instruction. 

Sec. 3 Report.  Changes "home school" to "nonpublic school that is not accredited by a state recognized accrediting agency" for purpose of those reporting to the district superintendent and the superintendent reporting to the commissioner on students in the district. 

Sec. 4. Definitions.  Changes "home school" to "nonpublic school that is not accredited by a state recognized accrediting agency" for the purpose of defining "elementary and secondary school" in the immunization statute.

Sec. 5. Alternative attendance programs.  Requires that transportation for homeless non-resident pupils be provided from the pupil’s residence to and from the school of enrollment. 

Sec. 6.  Continued enrollment for homeless students.  Allows a homeless student whose parent or guardian has moved to another district to continue to enroll in the non-resident district without the approval of the school board of the nonresident district or resident district.  

Sec. 7. Aid to serving district.  Requires that general education revenue be paid to the resident district for a homeless child that is enrolled in a school other than an independent or special school district or charter school.

Sec. 8.  Revisor’s instruction.  Instructs the Revisor of Statutes to substitute “English learner”, “EL”, or similar term for “limited English proficient,” “English language learner,” “LEP,” or “ELL” or similar term when referring to early childhood through grade 12 education.

Sec. 9.  Repealer.  Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 127A.47 subdivision 2. (Payments to resident and nonresident districts, reporting),

Article 2

Education Excellence

Sec. 1. Transportation.  Allows a parent or guardian of an alternative pupil enrolled in a course for secondary credit to apply to the pupil’s postsecondary institution for the pupil’s necessary transportation costs.  The pupil’s family or guardian income must be at or below the federal poverty level to qualify for reimbursement.  State aid must be paid to the post-secondary institution. 

Sec. 2.  Formation of school.  Requires a charter school to publish on its official website:

(1) the minutes of board of directors meetings and members of committees having board delegated authority;

(2) a directory of board members and committees; and

(3) contact information and identity of the school’s authorizer.

The charter school must make financial statements available upon request. 

Sec. 5. Charter contract.  Clause (1) Requires a contract for a charter school between the authorizer and the school to include a declaration of the additional purposes listed in section 3 of this Article that the school intends to carry out.   The school must report on its implementation of the primary purpose and those addition purposes.

Clause (13) Requires a contract for a charter school between the authorizer and the school to include performance under the primary purpose as the most important factor in determining contract renewal.

Sec. 3. Length of the school year.  Changes measurement of length of the school year from the minimum number of days to the minimum number of hours. 

Sec. 4.  Annual public reports.  Strikes a requirement that charter schools distribute their annual report to the commissioner. 

Sec. 5.  Affiliated nonprofit building corporation.   Requires a charter school to develop a plan for renovation or purchase in order organize a nonprofit affiliated building corporation.   Provides the ability for a charter school to expand an existing school facility.  Prohibits a charter school from initiating an installment contract for purchase, or a lease agreement, or solicit bids for new construction, expansion, or remodeling of an educational facility in excess of $1.4 million unless it meets all of the criteria under this act.    

Sec. 6.  Extent of legal authority.  Strikes a requirement that a charter school board of directors submit a copy of their insurance policy to the commissioner before starting operations.  

Sec. 7.  Student organizations.   Clarifies the acronym for several student organizations receiving appropriations under this section.    

Article 3

Special Programs

Sec. 1. Extended school year.  Strikes references to section 125A.16 repealed in this article.

Sec. 2. Nonresident education; Billing.  Requires the billing costs for nonresident students who are temporarily placed for care and treatment to be reported in the state’s special education tuition billing system. 

Sec. 3. Approval of education programs.  Defines “on-site education program” as educational services provided directly on the grounds of the care or treatment facility for the purpose of placement of children and youth in residential facilities including detention centers. 

Sec. 4. Repealer.  Repeals Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 125A.16 (Placement in state institution; Responsibility) and  125A.80 (Uniform billing system for the education costs of out-of-state home placed students)

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