1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; ensuring equitable funding 
  1.3             provisions for alternative education programs; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, sections 124.17, 
  1.5             subdivision 4; 124C.45, subdivision 1a; and 126.23, 
  1.6             subdivision 1. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 124.17, 
  1.9   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 4.  [LEARNING YEAR PUPIL UNITS.] (a) When a pupil is 
  1.11  enrolled in a learning year program according to under section 
  1.12  121.585, an area learning center according to under sections 
  1.13  124C.45 and 124C.46, or an alternative program approved by the 
  1.14  commissioner, for more than 1,020 hours in a school year for a 
  1.15  secondary student and for more than 935 hours in a school year 
  1.16  for an elementary student, that pupil may be counted as more 
  1.17  than one pupil in average daily membership.  The amount in 
  1.18  excess of one pupil must be determined by the ratio of the 
  1.19  number of hours of instruction provided to that pupil in excess 
  1.20  of 1,020 hours to 1,020 for a secondary pupil and of 935 hours 
  1.21  to 935 for an elementary pupil.  Hours that occur after the 
  1.22  close of the instructional year in June shall be attributable to 
  1.23  the following fiscal year. 
  1.24     (b)(i) To receive general education revenue for a pupil in 
  1.25  an alternative program that has an independent study component, 
  1.26  a school district must meet the requirements in this paragraph.  
  2.1   The school district must develop with the pupil a continual 
  2.2   learning plan for the pupil.  A district must allow a minor 
  2.3   pupil's parent or guardian to participate in developing the 
  2.4   plan, if the parent or guardian wants to participate.  The plan 
  2.5   must identify the learning experiences and expected outcomes 
  2.6   needed for satisfactory credit for the year and for graduation.  
  2.7   The plan must be updated each year.  Each school district that 
  2.8   has a state-approved public alternative program must reserve 
  2.9   revenue in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of the general 
  2.10  education revenue generated by each student attending a 
  2.11  state-approved public alternative program.  The amount of 
  2.12  reserved revenue available under this subdivision may only be 
  2.13  spent for program costs associated with the state-approved 
  2.14  public alternative program. 
  2.15     (ii) General education revenue for a pupil in an approved 
  2.16  alternative program without an independent study component must 
  2.17  be prorated for a pupil participating for less than a full year, 
  2.18  or its equivalent.  Each school district that has a 
  2.19  state-approved public alternative program must reserve revenue 
  2.20  in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of the general 
  2.21  education revenue generated by each student attending a 
  2.22  state-approved public alternative program.  The amount of 
  2.23  reserved revenue available under this subdivision may only be 
  2.24  spent for program costs associated with the state-approved 
  2.25  public alternative program.  
  2.26     (iii) General education revenue for a pupil in an approved 
  2.27  alternative program that has an independent study component must 
  2.28  be paid for each hour of teacher contact time and each hour of 
  2.29  independent study time completed toward a credit or graduation 
  2.30  standards necessary for graduation.  Average daily membership 
  2.31  for a pupil shall equal the number of hours of teacher contact 
  2.32  time and independent study time divided by 1,020. 
  2.33     (iv) For an alternative program having an independent study 
  2.34  component, the commissioner shall require a description of the 
  2.35  courses in the program, the kinds of independent study involved, 
  2.36  the expected learning outcomes of the courses, and the means of 
  3.1   measuring student performance against the expected outcomes. 
  3.2      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 124C.45, 
  3.3   subdivision 1a, is amended to read: 
  3.4      Subd. 1a.  [RESERVE REVENUE.] Each school district that is 
  3.5   a member of an area learning center must reserve revenue in an 
  3.6   amount equal to at least 90 percent of the basic general 
  3.7   education revenue generated by each student attending an area 
  3.8   learning center program under this section.  The amount of 
  3.9   reserved revenue under this subdivision may only be spent on 
  3.10  program costs associated with the area learning center. 
  3.11     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 126.23, 
  3.12  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.13     Subdivision 1.  [AID.] If a pupil enrolls in an alternative 
  3.14  program, eligible under section 126.22, subdivision 3, paragraph 
  3.15  (d), or subdivision 3a, operated by a private organization that 
  3.16  has contracted with a school district to provide educational 
  3.17  services for eligible pupils under section 126.22, subdivision 
  3.18  2, the district contracting with the private organization must 
  3.19  reimburse the provider an amount equal to at least 90 percent of 
  3.20  the basic general education revenue of the district for each 
  3.21  pupil attending the program full time.  For a pupil attending 
  3.22  the program part time, basic general education revenue paid to 
  3.23  the program shall be reduced proportionately, according to the 
  3.24  amount of time the pupil attends the program, and basic general 
  3.25  education revenue paid to the district shall be reduced 
  3.26  accordingly.  Pupils for whom a district provides reimbursement 
  3.27  may not be counted by the district for any purpose other than 
  3.28  computation of basic revenue, according to section 124A.22, 
  3.29  subdivision 2.  If payment is made to a district or program for 
  3.30  a pupil under this section, the department of children, 
  3.31  families, and learning shall not make a payment for the same 
  3.32  pupil under section 126.22, subdivision 8. 
  3.33     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.34     Sections 1 to 3 are effective for the 1997-1998 school year 
  3.35  and thereafter.