1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; increasing the number of 
  1.3             authorized charter schools; modifying the number of 
  1.4             teachers needed to permit conversion of an existing 
  1.5             school to a charter school; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 120.064, 
  1.7             subdivisions 3 and 4a. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  1.10  120.064, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 3.  [SPONSOR.] A school board, community college, 
  1.12  state university, technical college, or the University of 
  1.13  Minnesota may sponsor one or more charter schools. 
  1.14     No more than a total of ~~40~~ 100 charter schools may be 
  1.15  authorized not more than three of which may be sponsored by 
  1.16  public post-secondary institutions.  The state board of 
  1.17  education shall advise potential sponsors when the maximum 
  1.18  number of charter schools has been authorized. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  1.20  120.064, subdivision 4a, is amended to read: 
  1.21     Subd. 4a.  [CONVERSION OF EXISTING SCHOOLS.] A school board 
  1.22  may convert one or more of its existing schools to charter 
  1.23  schools under this section if ~~90 percent~~ a majority of the 
  1.24  full-time teachers at the school sign a petition seeking 
  1.25  conversion.  The conversion must occur at the beginning of an 
  1.26  academic year.