1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; modifying transportation for 
  1.3             enrollment options; appropriating money; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 120.062, by adding a 
  1.5             subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, 
  1.6             section 124.225, subdivision 8l. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 120.062, is 
  1.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 9a.  [TRANSPORTATION FOR INTEGRATION.] 
  1.11  Notwithstanding subdivision 9, the state shall provide 
  1.12  transportation aid according to this subdivision for enrollment 
  1.13  in the metropolitan area for integration purposes.  The 
  1.14  metropolitan area is as defined by section 473.121, subdivision 
  1.15  2. 
  1.16     (a) Transportation for kindergarten through sixth grade 
  1.17  pupils attending a district contiguous to their resident 
  1.18  district for integration purposes is the joint responsibility of 
  1.19  the two districts.  The resident district is required to provide 
  1.20  or pay for transportation to the district's border.  The 
  1.21  nonresident district is required to provide or pay for 
  1.22  transportation within the district.  Transportation aid is paid 
  1.23  to both the nonresident and resident districts according to 
  1.24  section 124.225 for transporting a pupil from a family whose 
  1.25  income is at or below 185 percent of the poverty level as 
  1.26  determined by the federal government. 
  2.1      (b) The nonresident district must reimburse a parent for 
  2.2   the costs of transportation from the pupil's residence to the 
  2.3   school site if the pupil is from a family whose income is at or 
  2.4   below 185 percent of the poverty level, as determined by the 
  2.5   federal government.  The reimbursement may not exceed the 
  2.6   pupil's actual cost of transportation or 15 cents per mile 
  2.7   traveled, whichever is less.  Reimbursement may not be paid for 
  2.8   more than 250 miles per week. 
  2.9      (c) The nonresident district must reimburse transportation 
  2.10  related costs to a parent of a pupil attending a school in 
  2.11  independent school district No. 625, St. Paul, or special school 
  2.12  district No. 1, Minneapolis, if attendance is for integration 
  2.13  purposes and the family has an income greater than 185 percent 
  2.14  of the poverty level as determined by the federal government.  
  2.15  The reimbursement may not exceed actual costs up to a maximum of 
  2.16  $750 per school year.  Eligible costs include, but are not 
  2.17  limited to, parking and mileage at the rate of 15 cents per mile.
  2.18     (d) At the time a nonresident district notifies a parent or 
  2.19  guardian that an application has been accepted under subdivision 
  2.20  5 or 6, the nonresident district must specify if the application 
  2.21  qualifies for transportation for integration.  The nonresident 
  2.22  district must also provide the parent with information on 
  2.23  transportation for integration including procedures for applying 
  2.24  for reimbursement and an estimate of when the district will make 
  2.25  reimbursement payments. 
  2.26     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  2.27  124.225, subdivision 8l, is amended to read: 
  2.28     Subd. 8l.  [ALTERNATIVE ATTENDANCE PROGRAMS.] (a) Except 
  2.29  for integration purposes in the metropolitan area as defined by 
  2.30  section 473.121, subdivision 2, a district that enrolls 
  2.31  nonresident pupils in programs under sections 120.062, 120.075, 
  2.32  120.0751, 120.0752, 124C.45 to 124C.48, and 126.22, may provide 
  2.33  authorized transportation to the pupil within the attendance 
  2.34  area for the school that the pupil attends.  The resident 
  2.35  district need not provide or pay for transportation between the 
  2.36  pupil's residence and the district's border. 
  3.1      (b) A metropolitan area district that enrolls nonresident 
  3.2   pupils under section 120.062 for integration purposes shall 
  3.3   provide or pay for transportation as required under section 
  3.4   120.062, subdivision 9a.  The state shall pay transportation aid 
  3.5   attributable to the pupil to the nonresident district.  The 
  3.6   state shall also pay transportation aid to the resident district 
  3.7   for a low-income pupil in kindergarten through sixth grade under 
  3.8   section 120.062, subdivision 9a, paragraph (b). 
  3.9      Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.10     $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 1997 to the 
  3.11  commissioner of children, families, and learning for the cost of 
  3.12  transportation of pupils attending nonresident districts 
  3.13  according to section 1.