1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; creating an adopt-a-classroom 
  1.3             program; creating an endowed chair program for 
  1.4             schools; authorizing the office of the attorney 
  1.5             general to develop a guide to school site foundations; 
  1.6             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.7             chapter 124C. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [124C.75] [SCHOOL SITE FOUNDATIONS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [FORMATION.] An individual or an 
  1.11  organization may form a foundation or a nonprofit corporation to 
  1.12  provide additional financial support to a school site or a 
  1.13  school district.  The purpose of the program is to enhance 
  1.14  overall community support for schools. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [AGREEMENT TO SUPPORT.] A school site or a school 
  1.16  district may enter into an agreement with a foundation or a 
  1.17  nonprofit corporation to provide support for a school program. 
  1.18     Subd. 3.  [REVENUE DISBURSEMENT.] The revenue a school site 
  1.19  or school district receives from a school foundation or a 
  1.20  nonprofit corporation under this section may be used for any 
  1.21  operational or equipment purchase specified in the agreement. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  [124C.76] [ADOPT-A-CLASSROOM PROGRAM.] 
  1.23     Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE.] The purpose of the 
  1.24  adopt-a-classroom program is to encourage parent and community 
  1.25  involvement in the classroom. 
  1.26     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] Any individual, group of 
  2.1   individuals, or organization may apply to a school site to 
  2.2   provide mentoring services through the adopt-a-classroom 
  2.3   program.  The school site council, or in the absence of a school 
  2.4   site council, the building principal or lead teacher, may enter 
  2.5   into an "adopt-a-classroom" agreement with the individual or 
  2.6   group representative.  The agreement may be for general purposes 
  2.7   or for specific purposes as agreed upon by the parties. 
  2.8      Subd. 3.  [REQUIREMENTS.] An individual or group may adopt 
  2.9   a classroom by entering into an agreement to provide at least 
  2.10  one hour of contact time per student per week.  The contact time 
  2.11  may be for general purposes, for mentoring in a particular 
  2.12  subject area, or for another educational purpose described in 
  2.13  the agreement. 
  2.14     Subd. 4.  [SIGNS.] A classroom may provide space for a sign 
  2.15  to recognize an adopt-a-classroom program participant. 
  2.16     Subd. 5.  [REPORT.] Each year, the department of children, 
  2.17  families, and learning shall issue to interested members of the 
  2.18  education community a list of each individual or organization 
  2.19  currently participating in the adopt-a-classroom program. 
  2.20     Sec. 3.  [124C.77] [ENDOWED CHAIR.] 
  2.21     Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE.] The purpose of the endowed chair 
  2.22  program is to increase curriculum offerings and learning 
  2.23  experiences available to students. 
  2.24     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] A school site, represented by the 
  2.25  school site council or, if no site council exists, the principal 
  2.26  or lead teacher, and the party interested in endowing a chair 
  2.27  may enter into an agreement for an endowed chair for no longer 
  2.28  than one year in length.  The party endowing the chair and the 
  2.29  school site may, at their discretion, renew annually. 
  2.30     Subd. 3.  [PROGRAM.] An endowed chair program may be for a 
  2.31  semester, a summer session, or a full school year.  Curriculum 
  2.32  developed or provided under the endowed chair program must 
  2.33  supplement the existing curriculum offerings available at the 
  2.34  school in the particular subject chosen. 
  2.35     Subd. 4.  [AGREEMENT.] The agreement must make available 
  2.36  funds sufficient for the salary and benefit costs of the 
  3.1   instructor, and necessary supplies for the course.  The 
  3.2   participating site must provide the classroom space and 
  3.3   administer the program.  The parties, in consultation with the 
  3.4   school district and the exclusive representative of the 
  3.5   teachers, jointly select the instructor for the endowed chair. 
  3.6      Sec. 4.  [ATTORNEY GENERAL.] 
  3.7      Subdivision 1.  [BROCHURE.] The attorney general may, in 
  3.8   consultation with the Minnesota school boards association, 
  3.9   prepare a brochure explaining the process that an individual or 
  3.10  a group must follow to establish a school site foundation or a 
  3.11  nonprofit corporation designed to benefit a school site under 
  3.12  section 1.  The brochure may also contain information regarding 
  3.13  the oversight procedures that a school district or a school site 
  3.14  council should implement for monitoring the activity of a school 
  3.15  site foundation or nonprofit corporation. 
  3.16     Subd. 2.  [LEGAL ADVICE.] The attorney general shall not 
  3.17  provide legal advice to an individual or group desiring to 
  3.18  establish a school site foundation or nonprofit corporation 
  3.19  designed to assist a school site. 
  3.20     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.21     Sections 1 to 4 are effective July 1, 1996.