1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; allowing trial placements for eligible children at the 
1.3 	Minnesota State Academies;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 
1.4 	125A.69, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 125A.69, subdivision 1, is amended to 
1.7 	read:
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Two kinds Admissions. There are two kinds of Admission to the 
1.9 	Minnesota State Academies is described in this section.
1.10 	(a) A pupil who is deaf, hard of hearing, or blind-deaf deafblind, may be admitted to 
1.11 	the Academy for the Deaf. A pupil who is blind or visually impaired, blind-deaf deafblind, 
1.12 	or multiply disabled may be admitted to the Academy for the Blind. For a pupil to be 
1.13 	admitted, two decisions must be made under sections 125A.03 to 125A.24 and 125A.65. 
1.14 	(1) It must be decided by the individual education planning team that education in 
1.15 	regular or special education classes in the pupil's district of residence cannot be achieved 
1.16 	satisfactorily because of the nature and severity of the deafness or blindness or visual 
1.17 	impairment respectively.
1.18 	(2) It must be decided by the individual education planning team that the academy 
1.19 	provides the most appropriate placement within the least restrictive alternative for the 
1.20 	pupil.
1.21 	(b) A deaf or hard-of-hearing child or a visually impaired pupil may be admitted to 
1.22 	get socialization skills or on a short-term basis for skills development.
1.23 	(c) A parent of a child who resides in Minnesota and who meets the disability criteria 
1.24 	for being deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, or multiply disabled may 
2.1 	apply to place the child in the Minnesota State Academies. Academy staff must review 
2.2 	the application to determine whether the Minnesota State Academies is an appropriate 
2.3 	placement for the child. If academy staff determine that the Minnesota State Academies is 
2.4 	an appropriate placement, the staff must invite the individualized education program team 
2.5 	at the child's resident school district to participate in a meeting to arrange a trial placement 
2.6 	of between 60 and 90 calendar days at the Minnesota State Academies. If the child's 
2.7 	parent consents to the trial placement, the Minnesota State Academies is the responsible 
2.8 	serving school district and incurs all due process obligations under law, and the child's 
2.9 	resident school district is responsible for any transportation included in the child's 
2.10 	individualized education program during the trial placement. Before the trial placement 
2.11 	ends, academy staff must convene an individualized education program team meeting to 
2.12 	determine whether to continue the child's placement at the Minnesota State Academies 
2.13 	or that another placement is appropriate. If the academy members of the individualized 
2.14 	education program team and the parent are unable to agree on the child's placement, the 
2.15 	child's placement reverts to the placement in the child's individualized education program 
2.16 	that immediately preceded the trial placement. If the parent and individualized education 
2.17 	program team agree to continue the placement beyond the trial period, the transportation 
2.18 	and due process responsibilities are the same as those described for the trial placement 
2.19 	under this paragraph.

2.20 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2011.