1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing for grants for closing educational achievement 
1.3 	gaps; requiring a report; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. GRANT PROGRAM; CLOSING EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT 
1.6 	GAPS.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Grant program established. The commissioner of education must 
1.8 	establish a grant program to support community-based initiatives and collaborative efforts 
1.9 	that address educational achievement gaps and support educational outcomes for low-income 
1.10 	students who are severely impacted by the achievement gap.
1.11 		Subd. 2.Applications and grant awards. The commissioner must determine application 
1.12 	procedures and deadlines, select community-based initiatives to participate in the grant 
1.13 	program, and determine the award amount and payment process of the grants.
1.14 		Subd. 3.Reports. Grant recipients must annually report to the commissioner by a date 
1.15 	and in a form and manner determined by the commissioner on efforts planned and 
1.16 	implemented that engaged students, families, educators, and community members from 
1.17 	diverse backgrounds to address educational achievement gaps. The report must assess the 
1.18 	impact of those efforts as perceived by racially and ethnically diverse stakeholders and must 
1.19 	identify areas needing further continuous improvement. The commissioner must publish a 
1.20 	report for the public summarizing the activities of grant recipients and evidence-based results 
1.21 	in addressing educational achievement gaps. The report must meet the requirements of 
1.22 	Minnesota Statutes, section 127A.20. The report must be submitted to the chairs and ranking 
2.1 	minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over education policy and 
2.2 	finance.
2.3 		Subd. 4.Appropriation. (a) The sum indicated in this section is appropriated from the 
2.4 	general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year designated to support 
2.5 	community-based initiatives and collaborative efforts to close educational achievement 
2.6 	gaps:

2.7 | | $ | 20,000,000 | ..... | 2023
2.8 	(b) Money appropriated to support community-based initiatives and collaborative efforts 
2.9 	to close educational achievement gaps must be used to work with low-income students who 
2.10 	are severely impacted by the achievement gap in kindergarten through grade 12 education 
2.11 	programs to support educational outcomes.
2.12 	(c) The base for fiscal years 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027 is $20,000,000 per year.
2.13 	(d) The base for fiscal year 2028 is $0.