1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; establishing efficiency reviews 
  1.3             for public schools; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120B. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [120B.115] [SCHOOL DISTRICT EFFICIENCY 
  1.7   REVIEWS.] 
  1.8      (a) At the written request of a school superintendent or 
  1.9   local school board and using state funds appropriated for this 
  1.10  purpose, the Management Analysis Division in the Department of 
  1.11  Administration, in consultation with the commissioner of 
  1.12  education, shall review a school district's central operations.  
  1.13  The review at least must: 
  1.14     (1) examine noninstructional expenditures; 
  1.15     (2) examine overhead costs, procurement practices, 
  1.16  facilities use and management, financial management, 
  1.17  transportation policies, technology planning, and energy 
  1.18  management; and 
  1.19     (3) identify opportunities for the district to improve 
  1.20  operational efficiencies and reduce costs. 
  1.21     The Management Analysis Division, at its discretion, may 
  1.22  include additional areas for review.  The review must not 
  1.23  examine the effectiveness of the educational services a district 
  1.24  is delivering.  State and local entities must cooperate with and 
  1.25  assist the Management Analysis Division with a review at the 
  2.1   request of the Management Analysis Division. 
  2.2      (b) The Management Analysis Division must conduct the 
  2.3   review within two years of the date on which it receives the 
  2.4   review request and must determine the sequence, timing, and 
  2.5   duration of the review.  The Management Analysis Division is 
  2.6   encouraged to annually review at least three districts in 
  2.7   diverse locations throughout the state. 
  2.8      (c) When concluding a review, the Management Analysis 
  2.9   Division must provide a written report of the findings, 
  2.10  including exemplary practices that other school districts may 
  2.11  wish to replicate and recommendations for improved services and 
  2.12  greater efficiencies.  All recommendations contained in the 
  2.13  report are advisory only and a school district may adopt or 
  2.14  reject the recommendations in whole or in part. 
  2.15     (d) The Management Analysis Division, in cooperation with 
  2.16  the commissioner of education, must make public all final 
  2.17  reports, recommendations, related tables, and appendices.  
  2.18  Records and other information about identifiable school board 
  2.19  employees are private data on individuals and must not be 
  2.20  disclosed. 
  2.21     (e) The state must not seek reimbursement from a school 
  2.22  district or other affected local unit of government for any 
  2.23  costs associated with an efficiency review under this section. 
  2.24     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2004.