Minnesota SF 3534: Charter school admission requirements modification

Bill Text

1.1 A bill for an act​
1.2 relating to education; modifying charter school admission requirements; amending​
1.3 Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 124E.11.​
1.4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 124E.11, is amended to read:​
1.6 124E.11 ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND ENROLLMENT.​
1.7 (a) A charter school, including its preschool or prekindergarten program established​
1.8 under section 124E.06, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), may limit admission to:​
1.9 (1) pupils within an age group or grade level;​
1.10 (2) pupils who are eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program under​
1.11 section 124D.68; or​
1.12 (3) residents of a specific geographic area in which the school is located when the​
1.13 majority of students served by the school are members of underserved populations.​
1.14 (b) A charter school, including its preschool or prekindergarten program established​
1.15 under section 124E.06, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), shall enroll an eligible pupil who​
1.16 submits a timely application, unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a​
1.17 program, class, grade level, or building. In this case, pupils must be accepted by lot. The​
1.18 charter school must develop and publish, including on its website, a lottery policy and​
1.19 process that it must use when accepting pupils by lot.​
1.20 (c) A charter school shall give enrollment preference to a sibling of an enrolled pupil​
1.21 and to a foster child of that pupil's parents and may give preference for enrolling children​
1​Section 1.​
22-06018 as introduced​02/03/22 REVISOR CM/HL​
SENATE​
STATE OF MINNESOTA​
S.F. No. 3534​NINETY-SECOND SESSION​
(SENATE AUTHORS: CHAMBERLAIN and Duckworth)​
OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​
Introduction and first reading​5151​02/28/2022​
Referred to Education Finance and Policy​
Comm report: To pass, Consent Calendar​5349​03/16/2022​
Second reading​5357​
Author added Duckworth​8549​05/19/2022​
Consent Calendar: Third reading Passed​8612​05/20/2022​

2.1 of the school's staff before accepting other pupils by lot. A charter school that is located in​
2.2 Duluth township in St. Louis County and admits students in kindergarten through grade 6​
2.3 must give enrollment preference to students residing within a five-mile radius of the school​
2.4 and to the siblings of enrolled children. A charter school may give enrollment preference​
2.5 to children currently enrolled in the school's free preschool or prekindergarten program​
2.6 under section 124E.06, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), who are eligible to enroll in kindergarten​
2.7 in the next school year.​
2.8 (d) A person shall not be admitted to a charter school (1) as a kindergarten pupil, unless​
2.9 the pupil is at least five years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school​
2.10 year for which the pupil seeks admission commences; or (2) as a first grade student, unless​
2.11 the pupil is at least six years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school​
2.12 year for which the pupil seeks admission commences or has completed kindergarten; except​
2.13 that a charter school may establish and publish on its website a policy for admission of​
2.14 selected pupils at an earlier age, consistent with the enrollment process in paragraphs (b)​
2.15 and (c).​
2.16 (e) Except as permitted in paragraph (d) paragraphs (d) and (i), a charter school, including​
2.17 its preschool or prekindergarten program established under section 124E.06, subdivision​
2.18 3, paragraph (b), may not limit admission to pupils on the basis of intellectual ability,​
2.19 measures of achievement or aptitude, or athletic ability and may not establish any criteria​
2.20 or requirements for admission that are inconsistent with this section.​
2.21 (f) The charter school shall not distribute any services or goods of value to students,​
2.22 parents, or guardians as an inducement, term, or condition of enrolling a student in a charter​
2.23 school.​
2.24 (g) Once a student is enrolled in the school, the student is considered enrolled in the​
2.25 school until the student formally withdraws or is expelled under the Pupil Fair Dismissal​
2.26 Act in sections 121A.40 to 121A.56.​
2.27 (h) A charter school with at least 90 percent of enrolled students who are eligible for​
2.28 special education services and have a primary disability of deaf or hard-of-hearing may​
2.29 enroll prekindergarten pupils with a disability under section 126C.05, subdivision 1,​
2.30 paragraph (a), and must comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education​
2.31 Act under Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, section 300.324, subsection (2), clause​
2.32 (iv).​
2.33 (i) A charter school serving at least 90 percent of enrolled students who are eligible for​
2.34 special education services and have a primary disability of deaf or hard-of-hearing may​
2​Section 1.​
22-06018 as introduced​02/03/22 REVISO