Bill Text: MN HF273 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Students at low-performing schools enrollment options established.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 12)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-14 - Committee report, without further rec to amend, re-refer to Education Finance [HF273 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HF273-Engrossed.html
1.2relating to education; establishing enrollment options for students at
1.3low-performing schools;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
1.4chapter 124D.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [124D.031] ENROLLMENT OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS AT
1.7LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
1.8 Subdivision 1. Student enrollment options. (a) A student who attends a persistently
1.9low-performing school for at least one school year and whose family income is equal to or
1.10less than 175 percent of the federal poverty level is eligible to enroll in a nonpublic school
1.11under this section or a nonresident district school or program under section 124D.03.
1.12(b) For the purposes of this section, "persistently low-performing school" means
1.13a school that has student performance levels for at least three consecutive school years
1.14immediately preceding the school year a student is enrolling in a nonpublic school under
1.15this section or a nonresident district school or program under section 124D.03 in one
1.16or more of the following:
1.17(1) the combined total percentage of students scoring at the "does not meet
1.18standards" level for either the reading or mathematics Minnesota Comprehensive
1.19Assessments exceeds 40 percent for all grades tested;
1.20(2) the combined percentage of students having academic growth in reading or
1.21mathematics of "proficient, low growth," "not proficient, low growth," and "not proficient,
1.22medium growth" exceeds 50 percent; or
2.1(3) 50 percent or more students in secondary school do not receive a passing
2.2score when first tested on the graduation required assessment for diploma in reading,
2.3mathematics, or writing.
2.4 Subd. 2. Eligible nonpublic schools. To be eligible to participate under this section,
2.5a nonpublic school must comply with section 121A.04 and chapter 363A; accommodate
2.6students by making reasonable accommodations and meeting the requirements under
2.7the Americans with Disabilities Act, Public Law 101-336; adopt an antidiscrimination,
2.8harassment, and violence prevention policy that complies with section 121A.03, and
2.9an anti-intimidation and bullying policy that complies with section 121A.0695; submit
2.10data to the commissioner in the form and manner required by the commissioner so that
2.11the school may be included in the state's annual school performance report cards under
2.12section 120B.36; accept students on a random basis, except that the nonpublic school may
2.13give preference to the siblings of students already enrolled in the nonpublic school; and
2.14notify the commissioner of its intent to participate. The nonpublic school must administer
2.15either the statewide reading and math tests under section 120B.30 or a nationally
2.16norm-referenced standardized achievement exam to its enrolled students.
2.17The commissioner shall ensure that the nonpublic school complies with the
2.18requirements of this subdivision.
2.19 Subd. 3. Tuition funding for students transferring to nonpublic schools. If a
2.20student transfers to a nonpublic school under this section, and upon receiving proof that
2.21the student is enrolled in the nonpublic school, the commissioner shall make quarterly
2.22payments to the student's parent or guardian in an amount equal to the lesser of the
2.23state average general education revenue per pupil unit, calculated without transportation
2.24sparsity revenue or the nonpublic school's operating and debt service cost per pupil
2.25that is related to educational programming, as determined by the commissioner. The
2.26commissioner shall send the check to the nonpublic school and the parent or guardian shall
2.27restrictively endorse the check for the nonpublic school's use.
2.28 Subd. 4. Student transportation. A resident school district is responsible for
2.29providing transportation within the district's borders for a student who enrolls in a
2.30nonpublic school under this section and shall receive transportation funding equal to the
2.31actual costs in the current school year for those transportation services.
2.32 Subd. 5. Funding for student testing. The state shall pay the nonpublic school
2.33costs of administering tests given under section 120B.30.
2.34 Subd. 6. Curriculum review; exemption from instruction. A nonpublic school
2.35must provide a procedure for a parent, guardian, or an adult student, 18 years of age or
3.1older, to review the content of instructional materials, and if found objectionable, the
3.2student shall be exempt from the instruction upon request.
3.3 Subd. 7. Financial audit. A nonpublic school enrolling students under this section
3.4must submit to the commissioner by November 15 of each year a summary of audited
3.5financial data for the preceding fiscal year.
3.6 Subd. 8. List of nonpublic schools. The commissioner shall publish a list of
3.7participating nonpublic schools.
3.8EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
3.9and applies to the 2011-2012 school year and later.
1.3low-performing schools;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
1.4chapter 124D.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [124D.031] ENROLLMENT OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS AT
1.7LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
1.8 Subdivision 1. Student enrollment options. (a) A student who attends a persistently
1.9low-performing school for at least one school year and whose family income is equal to or
1.10less than 175 percent of the federal poverty level is eligible to enroll in a nonpublic school
1.11under this section or a nonresident district school or program under section 124D.03.
1.12(b) For the purposes of this section, "persistently low-performing school" means
1.13a school that has student performance levels for at least three consecutive school years
1.14immediately preceding the school year a student is enrolling in a nonpublic school under
1.15this section or a nonresident district school or program under section 124D.03 in one
1.16or more of the following:
1.17(1) the combined total percentage of students scoring at the "does not meet
1.18standards" level for either the reading or mathematics Minnesota Comprehensive
1.19Assessments exceeds 40 percent for all grades tested;
1.20(2) the combined percentage of students having academic growth in reading or
1.21mathematics of "proficient, low growth," "not proficient, low growth," and "not proficient,
1.22medium growth" exceeds 50 percent; or
2.1(3) 50 percent or more students in secondary school do not receive a passing
2.2score when first tested on the graduation required assessment for diploma in reading,
2.3mathematics, or writing.
2.4 Subd. 2. Eligible nonpublic schools. To be eligible to participate under this section,
2.5a nonpublic school must comply with section 121A.04 and chapter 363A; accommodate
2.6students by making reasonable accommodations and meeting the requirements under
2.7the Americans with Disabilities Act, Public Law 101-336; adopt an antidiscrimination,
2.8harassment, and violence prevention policy that complies with section 121A.03, and
2.9an anti-intimidation and bullying policy that complies with section 121A.0695; submit
2.10data to the commissioner in the form and manner required by the commissioner so that
2.11the school may be included in the state's annual school performance report cards under
2.12section 120B.36; accept students on a random basis, except that the nonpublic school may
2.13give preference to the siblings of students already enrolled in the nonpublic school; and
2.14notify the commissioner of its intent to participate. The nonpublic school must administer
2.15either the statewide reading and math tests under section 120B.30 or a nationally
2.16norm-referenced standardized achievement exam to its enrolled students.
2.17The commissioner shall ensure that the nonpublic school complies with the
2.18requirements of this subdivision.
2.19 Subd. 3. Tuition funding for students transferring to nonpublic schools. If a
2.20student transfers to a nonpublic school under this section, and upon receiving proof that
2.21the student is enrolled in the nonpublic school, the commissioner shall make quarterly
2.22payments to the student's parent or guardian in an amount equal to the lesser of the
2.23state average general education revenue per pupil unit, calculated without transportation
2.24sparsity revenue or the nonpublic school's operating and debt service cost per pupil
2.25that is related to educational programming, as determined by the commissioner. The
2.26commissioner shall send the check to the nonpublic school and the parent or guardian shall
2.27restrictively endorse the check for the nonpublic school's use.
2.28 Subd. 4. Student transportation. A resident school district is responsible for
2.29providing transportation within the district's borders for a student who enrolls in a
2.30nonpublic school under this section and shall receive transportation funding equal to the
2.31actual costs in the current school year for those transportation services.
2.32 Subd. 5. Funding for student testing. The state shall pay the nonpublic school
2.33costs of administering tests given under section 120B.30.
2.34 Subd. 6. Curriculum review; exemption from instruction. A nonpublic school
2.35must provide a procedure for a parent, guardian, or an adult student, 18 years of age or
3.1older, to review the content of instructional materials, and if found objectionable, the
3.2student shall be exempt from the instruction upon request.
3.3 Subd. 7. Financial audit. A nonpublic school enrolling students under this section
3.4must submit to the commissioner by November 15 of each year a summary of audited
3.5financial data for the preceding fiscal year.
3.6 Subd. 8. List of nonpublic schools. The commissioner shall publish a list of
3.7participating nonpublic schools.
3.8EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
3.9and applies to the 2011-2012 school year and later.
