1.1.................... moves to amend H.F. No. 672 as follows:
1.2Delete everything after the enacting clause and insert:
1.3 "Section 1.
ALLOWING A CHARTER SCHOOL TO BECOME A SCHOOL
1.4WITHIN A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHILE RETAINING ITS AUTONOMY AND
1.5FLEXIBILITY; PILOT PROJECT.
1.6 Subdivision 1. Establishment. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section
1.7123B.04, 124D.10, or other law to the contrary, a five-year pilot project for the 2011-2012
1.8through the 2015-2016 school years or the 2012-2013 through the 2016-2017 school years,
1.9based on the contract under subdivision 2, is established to allow the Lakes International
1.10Language Academy, District No. 4116, charter school (LILA) to become a school within
1.11Independent School District No. 831, Forest Lake, (Forest Lake) so that LILA operates
1.12under the direct authority and supervision of the Forest Lake superintendent and the LILA
1.13chief administrator reports directly to the superintendent.
1.14 Subd. 2. Implementation. (a) The requirements governing LILA as a charter
1.15school and Volunteers of America of Minnesota as LILA's approved authorizer under
1.16Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.10, are suspended during the term of the pilot project to
1.17the extent they conflict with this section.
1.18(b) To implement this pilot project, the following conditions apply during the term
1.19of the pilot project:
1.20(1) LILA remains located in its current facility and continues to operate in the same
1.21manner as before the effective date of this act except to the extent specified under this
1.22section;
1.23(2) the pilot project is subject to a written contract between LILA and Forest Lake
1.24that both parties must sign before June 30, 2012, that becomes effective the first day of the
1.25school year in which the contract takes effect, and that stipulates that:
1.26(i) LILA is a school within Forest Lake;
2.1(ii) LILA operates subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.10, subdivision 7, and
2.2any other provision in section 124D.10 mutually agreed to by LILA and Forest Lake; and
2.3(iii) a monitoring committee composed of representatives of LILA, Forest Lake, and
2.4Volunteers of America of Minnesota, and any other individuals agreed to by these three
2.5entities that meets at least annually to assess the progress and status of the pilot project;
2.6(3) the charter school budget and expenditures are reported in a detailed and binding
2.7agreement reached annually between the Forest Lake and LILA during the term of the
2.8pilot project;
2.9(4) the LILA board of directors serves as a site council and retains an advisory role
2.10in the school's operation;
2.11(5) no increase in school district or charter school employees occurs as a result
2.12of this pilot project;
2.13(6) the charter school employees are at-will employees of Forest Lake; and
2.14(7) the charter school employees remain eligible to participate in alternative teacher
2.15pay under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.414, as described in the LILA Quality
2.16Compensation agreement in effect on the effective date of this act.
2.17(c) Forest Lake may include all LILA pupils in its pupil count under Minnesota
2.18Statutes, section 126C.05, and those LILA pupils qualify for funding as pupils served by
2.19the school district except that charter school building lease aid continues under Minnesota
2.20Statutes, section 124D.11, subdivision 4.
2.21 Subd. 3. Termination. Not later than March 1 in any school year in which the pilot
2.22project is in effect, Forest Lake or LILA may withdraw from participating in the pilot
2.23project and must immediately notify to the other party, the commissioner of education,
2.24and Volunteers of America of Minnesota of its intent to withdraw. A decision by either
2.25party to withdraw from participating causes the pilot project to terminate on the proximate
2.26June 30 and both parties to revert to their prepilot project status on that date. On any
2.27such June 30 when the parties revert to their prepilot status, LILA's status as a charter
2.28school and Volunteers of America of Minnesota's status as LILA's approved authorizer
2.29are reinstated for the next two consecutive school years and LILA and Volunteers of
2.30America of Minnesota are again subject to any requirements under Minnesota Statutes,
2.31section 124D.10, that were suspended during the term of this pilot project. During this
2.32two-year term, Volunteers of America of Minnesota may exercise its right, consistent
2.33with Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.10, subdivision 23, to terminate or not renew its
2.34contract to authorize the LILA charter school. If Volunteers of America of Minnesota
2.35terminates or does not renew this contract or Volunteers of America of Minnesota is no
2.36longer an authorizer, the commissioner of education shall be LILA's authorizer for one
3.1school year after the contract is terminated or not renewed or Volunteers of America of
3.2Minnesota has withdrawn as LILA's authorizer and assist LILA to transfer to a different
3.3eligible authorizer unless the contract is terminated or not renewed under Minnesota
3.4Statutes, section 124D.10, subdivision 23, paragraph (b).
3.5 Subd. 4. Evaluation. The education commissioner, in consultation with Forest
3.6Lake, LILA, Volunteers of America of Minnesota, and representatives of school
3.7administrators and teachers, must evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot project in
3.8improving student outcomes and submit a report of the commissioner's findings to the
3.9education policy and finance committees of the legislature by February 1 in the last year
3.10the pilot project is in effect.
3.11EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment
3.12unless LILA and Forest Lake fail to a sign a written contract before June 30, 2012,
3.13under subdivision 2, paragraph (b), clause (2) of this section, which makes this section
3.14ineffective on June 30, 2012."