1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; expanding the sponsors for a 
  1.3             charter school; including parents in the majority of 
  1.4             board members of a charter school; amending Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 124D.10, 
  1.6             subdivisions 3 and 4. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.9   124D.10, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 3.  [SPONSOR.] A school board, intermediate school 
  1.11  district school board, education districts organized under 
  1.12  sections 123A.15 to 123A.19, charitable organization under 
  1.13  section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is a 
  1.14  member of the Minnesota council on foundations and reports an 
  1.15  end of year fund balance of at least $1,000,000, private 
  1.16  college, community college, state university, technical college, 
  1.17  or the University of Minnesota may sponsor one or more charter 
  1.18  schools. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.20  124D.10, subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.21     Subd. 4.  [FORMATION OF SCHOOL.] (a) A sponsor may 
  1.22  authorize one or more licensed teachers under section 122A.18, 
  1.23  subdivision 1, to operate a charter school subject to approval 
  1.24  by the commissioner.  A board must vote on charter school 
  1.25  application for sponsorship no later than 90 days after 
  1.26  receiving the application.  After 90 days, the applicant may 
  2.1   apply to the commissioner.  If a board elects not to sponsor a 
  2.2   charter school, the applicant may appeal the board's decision to 
  2.3   the commissioner.  If the commissioner authorizes the school, 
  2.4   the commissioner must sponsor the school according to this 
  2.5   section.  The school must be organized and operated as a 
  2.6   cooperative under chapter 308A or nonprofit corporation under 
  2.7   chapter 317A.  
  2.8      (b) Before the operators may form and operate a school, the 
  2.9   sponsor must file an affidavit with the commissioner stating its 
  2.10  intent to authorize a charter school.  The affidavit must state 
  2.11  the terms and conditions under which the sponsor would authorize 
  2.12  a charter school.  The commissioner must approve or disapprove 
  2.13  the sponsor's proposed authorization within 60 days of receipt 
  2.14  of the affidavit.  Failure to obtain commissioner approval 
  2.15  precludes a sponsor from authorizing the charter school that was 
  2.16  the subject of the affidavit.  
  2.17     (c) The operators authorized to organize and operate a 
  2.18  school must hold an election for members of the school's board 
  2.19  of directors in a timely manner after the school is operating.  
  2.20  Any staff members who are employed at the school, including 
  2.21  teachers providing instruction under a contract with a 
  2.22  cooperative, and all parents of children enrolled in the school 
  2.23  may participate in the election.  Licensed teachers employed at 
  2.24  the school, including teachers providing instruction under a 
  2.25  contract with a cooperative, must be a majority of the members 
  2.26  of the board of directors, unless the commissioner waives the 
  2.27  requirement for the school or the teacher members of the board 
  2.28  elect to constitute a majority that consists of both teachers 
  2.29  employed at the school and parents of children enrolled in the 
  2.30  school with a minimum of one teacher director and one parent 
  2.31  director.  A provisional board may operate before the election 
  2.32  of the school's board of directors.  Board of director meetings 
  2.33  must comply with section 471.705. 
  2.34     (d) The granting or renewal of a charter by a sponsoring 
  2.35  entity must not be conditioned upon the bargaining unit status 
  2.36  of the employees of the school.