A bill for an act
relating to education finance; providing funding for prekindergarten through grade
12 education; modifying provisions for general education, education excellence,
teachers, special education, facilities, nutrition, libraries, early childhood,
community education, and state agencies; requiring reports; appropriating money;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections 119A.52; 120A.20, subdivision 1;
120A.41; 120B.018, by adding a subdivision; 120B.02, by adding a subdivision;
120B.12; 121A.04, subdivisions 1, 2; 121A.19; 121A.41, subdivision 7; 121A.582,
subdivision 1; 122A.06, subdivision 4; 122A.187, by adding a subdivision;
122A.415, subdivision 4; 122A.63, by adding a subdivision; 122A.73, subdivisions
2, 3, 5; 123B.595, subdivision 1; 123B.92, subdivision 1; 124D.095, subdivisions
2, 7, 8; 124D.111; 124D.1158; 124D.128, subdivision 2; 124D.151, subdivisions
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, by adding a subdivision; 124D.165, subdivisions 2, 6; 124D.2211;
124D.231; 124D.531, subdivisions 1, 4; 124D.55; 124D.59, subdivision 2; 124D.65,
subdivision 5; 124D.68, subdivision 2; 124D.74, subdivision 3; 124D.81; 124D.98,
by adding a subdivision; 125A.03; 125A.71, subdivision 1; 125A.76, subdivision
2e; 126C.05, subdivisions 1, 3, 17, 19; 126C.10, subdivisions 2, 2d, 4; 126C.15,
subdivision 2; 126C.17, by adding a subdivision; 126C.40, subdivision 6; 134.355,
subdivisions 5, 6, 7; Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 13, article 1, section
9; article 11, section 4, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapters 121A; 122A; 124D; 125A; 127A; repealing Minnesota Statutes
2022, section 124D.151, subdivisions 5, 6.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

ARTICLE 1

GENERAL EDUCATION

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.095, subdivision 2, is amended to read:


Subd. 2.

Definitions.

For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings
given them.

(a) "Digital learning" deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin meansnew text end learning facilitated by technology that offers students an
element of control over the time, place, path, or pace of their learning and includes blended
and online learning.

(b) "Blended learning" deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin meansnew text end a form of digital learning that occurs when a student
learns part time in a supervised physical setting and part time through digital delivery of
instruction, or a student learns in a supervised physical setting where technology is used as
a primary method to deliver instruction.

(c) "Online learning" deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin meansnew text end a form of digital learning delivered by an approved online
learning provider under paragraph (d).

(d) "Online learning provider" deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin meansnew text end a school district, an intermediate school district,
an organization of two or more school districts operating under a joint powers agreement,
or a charter school located in Minnesota that provides online learning to students and is
approved by the department to provide online learning courses.

(e) "Student" deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin meansnew text end a Minnesota resident enrolled in a school under section 120A.22,
subdivision 4
,new text begin or in a Tribal contract or grant school authorized to receive aid under section
124D.83
new text end in kindergarten through grade 12.

(f) "Online learning student" deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin meansnew text end a student enrolled in an online learning course or
program delivered by an online learning provider under paragraph (d).

(g) "Enrolling district" means the school district or charter school in which a student is
enrolled under section 120A.22, subdivision 4, for purposes of compulsory attendance.

(h) "Supplemental online learning" means an online learning course taken in place of a
course period at a local district school.

(i) "Full-time online learning provider" means an enrolling school authorized by the
department to deliver comprehensive public education at any or all of the elementary, middle,
or high school levels.

(j) "Online learning course syllabus" deleted text begin isdeleted text end new text begin meansnew text end a written document that an online learning
provider transmits to the enrolling district using a format prescribed by the commissioner
to identify the state academic standards embedded in an online course, the course content
outline, required course assessments, expectations for actual teacher contact time and other
student-to-teacher communications, and the academic support available to the online learning
student.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.095, subdivision 8, is amended to read:


Subd. 8.

Financial arrangements.

(a) For a student enrolled in an online learning course,
the department must calculate average daily membership and make payments according to
this subdivision.

(b) The initial online learning average daily membership equals 1/12 for each semester
course or a proportionate amount for courses of different lengths. The adjusted online
learning average daily membership equals the initial online learning average daily
membership times .88.

(c) No online learning average daily membership shall be generated if: (1) the student
does not complete the online learning course, or (2) the student is enrolled in online learning
provided by the enrolling district.

(d) Online learning average daily membership under this subdivision for a student
currently enrolled in a Minnesota public schoolnew text begin or in a Tribal contract or grant school
authorized to receive aid under section 124D.83
new text end shall be used only for computing average
daily membership according to section 126C.05, subdivision 19, paragraph (a), clause (2),
and for computing online learning aid according to section 124D.096.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.59, subdivision 2, is amended to read:


Subd. 2.

English learner.

(a) "English learner" means a pupil in kindergarten through
grade 12new text begin ; an early childhood special education student under Part B, section 619 of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, United States Code, title 20, section 1419;
new text end or
a prekindergarten student enrolled in an approved voluntary prekindergarten program under
section 124D.151 or a school readiness plus program who meets the requirements under
subdivision 2a or the following requirements:

(1) the pupil, as declared by a parent or guardian first learned a language other than
English, comes from a home where the language usually spoken is other than English, or
usually speaks a language other than English; and

(2) the pupil is determined by a valid assessment measuring the pupil's English language
proficiency and by developmentally appropriate measures, which might include observations,
teacher judgment, parent recommendations, or developmentally appropriate assessment
instruments, to lack the necessary English skills to participate fully in academic classes
taught in English.

(b) A pupil enrolled in a Minnesota public school in any grade 4 through 12 who in the
previous school year took a commissioner-provided assessment measuring the pupil's
emerging academic English, shall be counted as an English learner in calculating English
learner pupil units under section 126C.05, subdivision 17, and shall generate state English
learner aid under section 124D.65, subdivision 5, if the pupil scored below the state cutoff
score or is otherwise counted as a nonproficient participant on the assessment measuring
the pupil's emerging academic English, or, in the judgment of the pupil's classroom teachers,
consistent with section 124D.61, clause (1), the pupil is unable to demonstrate academic
language proficiency in English, including oral academic language, sufficient to successfully
and fully participate in the general core curriculum in the regular classroom.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b), a pupil in new text begin early childhood special education
or
new text end prekindergarten under section 124D.151, through grade 12 shall not be counted as an
English learner in calculating English learner pupil units under section 126C.05, subdivision
17
, and shall not generate state English learner aid under section 124D.65, subdivision 5,
if:

(1) the pupil is not enrolled during the current fiscal year in an educational program for
English learners under sections 124D.58 to 124D.64; or

(2) the pupil has generated seven or more years of average daily membership in Minnesota
public schools since July 1, 1996.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2024 and later.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.65, subdivision 5, is amended to read:


Subd. 5.

School district EL revenue.

(a) A district's English learner programs revenue
equals the product of (1) deleted text begin $704deleted text end new text begin $755new text end times (2) the greater of 20 or the adjusted average daily
membership of eligible English learners enrolled in the district during the current fiscal
year.

(b) A pupil ceases to generate state English learner aid in the school year following the
school year in which the pupil attains the state cutoff score on a commissioner-provided
assessment that measures the pupil's emerging academic English.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 126C.05, subdivision 17, is amended to read:


Subd. 17.

English learner pupil units.

(a) English learner pupil units for fiscal year
2004 and thereafter shall be determined according to this subdivision.

(b) The English learner concentration percentage for a district equals the product of 100
times the ratio of:

(1) the number of eligible English learners in average daily membership enrolled in the
district during the current fiscal year; to

(2) the number of pupils in average daily membership enrolled in the district.

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