1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; creating a grant program to allow rural school districts to 
1.3 	share services; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. COMMONWEALTH DISTRICT GRANTS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Commonwealth districts. The Minnesota Department of Education 
1.7 	may make up to three grants of up to $100,000 to groups of school districts to plan and 
1.8 	implement the creation of Commonwealth Districts. A Commonwealth District is a 
1.9 	consortium of at least three rural Independent School Districts and other governmental 
1.10 	agencies who agree to share administrative and program services. Administrative services 
1.11 	that may be shared include: superintendent, financial management, transportation, food, 
1.12 	property, technology, purchasing, evaluation and accountability, and communications 
1.13 	services. Instructional and learning services that may be shared include: faculty, online 
1.14 	learning, project based learning, and computer based learning.
1.15 		Subd. 2.Grants to implement program. A group of at least three rural 
1.16 	Independent School Districts may apply to the commissioner of education for a planning 
1.17 	grant. Grant applications must be in the form and manner specified by the commissioner, 
1.18 	but must give preference to applications showing the greatest cost advantages. Once a 
1.19 	Commonwealth District planning group has completed its planning process, it may apply 
1.20 	for an implementation grant.

1.21 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS.
 2.1 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section 
2.2 	are appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal 
2.3 	year designated.
2.4 		Subd. 2.Grants for Commonwealth Districts. For grants to school districts to 
2.5 	plan and implement Commonwealth Districts under section 1:

2.6 | | $ | 300,000 | ..... | 2010
2.7 | | $ | 300,000 | ..... | 2011
2.8 	The 2010 appropriation is for planning grants.
2.9 	The 2011 appropriation is for implementation grants.
2.10 	The base budget for this program is $300,000 per year for fiscal years 2012 and 
2.11 	2013 for implementation grants.