1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for laboratory 
  1.3             schools; appropriating money. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [LABORATORY SCHOOL GRANTS.] 
  1.6      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The commissioner of 
  1.7   children, families, and learning shall make grants to 
  1.8   post-secondary institutions to establish at least three 
  1.9   laboratory schools that develop innovative teaching techniques 
  1.10  to enhance students' learning experiences.  At least one 
  1.11  laboratory school must be located in the seven-county 
  1.12  metropolitan area and at least one laboratory school must be 
  1.13  located in greater Minnesota. 
  1.14     Subd. 2.  [GRANT APPLICATION.] An application for a grant 
  1.15  may be submitted by a public or private post-secondary 
  1.16  institution located in the state.  Each grant application must 
  1.17  include: 
  1.18     (1) the location of the laboratory school determined in 
  1.19  collaboration with a school district or proposed as a charter 
  1.20  school; and 
  1.21     (2) a five-year fiscal plan demonstrating that the school 
  1.22  shall operate with no additional state revenue except for 
  1.23  revenue received under Minnesota Statutes, chapters 124 and 
  1.24  124A, and the grant money awarded under this section.  
  2.1      The commissioner of children, families, and learning shall 
  2.2   establish guidelines and an application process for the grants. 
  2.3      Subd. 3.  [GRANT MONEY.] The grant money may be used for: 
  2.4      (1) transportation of students; 
  2.5      (2) technology; 
  2.6      (3) equipment; 
  2.7      (4) teacher mentorships; 
  2.8      (5) building remodeling, renovation, and repair; 
  2.9      (6) the dissemination of innovative and effective teaching 
  2.10  techniques; 
  2.11     (7) education research for the development of teaching 
  2.12  methods, assessments, and curriculum design; 
  2.13     (8) the development of creative opportunities for parental 
  2.14  involvement; and 
  2.15     (9) other inventive teaching and learning practices 
  2.16  designed to implement the graduation standards.  
  2.17     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.18     $10,000,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal 
  2.19  year 1998 to the department of children, families, and learning 
  2.20  for laboratory school grants under section 1.  Any balance in 
  2.21  the first year does not cancel but is available in the second 
  2.22  year.