HF734

Purpose

• Expand how school districts can use extended time to provide additional instructional time beyond the regular school day or year.
• Specifically extend eligibility and funding rules to pupils in career and technical education (CTE) and other programs, including certain offsite and specialized settings (e.g., day treatment, residential facilities), and to define how revenue is calculated and used.

Main Provisions and What It Seeks to Accomplish

• Extended time revenue calculation
  • The extended time allowance is set at 5117 (per the provision) for fiscal year 2023 and later.
  • District revenue is calculated as the extended time allowance multiplied by the sum of adjusted pupil units for pupils in average daily membership (ADM) above 1.0 and below 1.2, per existing pupil-weighting rules.
• Specific program scenarios for extended time revenue
  • Onsite programs outside the regular school year (Prairie Lakes Education Center or Lake Park School in Independent School District No. 347 Willmar): revenue equals membership hours divided by the district’s minimum annual instructional hours, not to exceed 0.20 times the pupil unit weighting, multiplied by the extended time allowance.
  • Offsite CTE or STEM courses offered for secondary credit outside the regular school day: revenue computed the same way as above (membership hours divided by minimum annual instructional hours, capped at 0.20 times the pupil unit weighting, then times the extended time allowance).
• Additional eligibility after the regular school year
  • For instruction after the end of one regular school year and before the next, districts qualify for extended time revenue for every pupil in:
  • Day treatment programs, and
  • Children’s residential facilities (offsite or onsite), with revenue equal to total summer instruction hours divided by minimum annual instructional hours, not to exceed 0.20 times the pupil unit weighting times the extended time allowance.
• Definitions and scope
  • Children’s residential facility includes facilities licensed by the Department of Human Services (DHS) or Department of Corrections (DOC) that are subject to Minnesota Rules chapter 2960, or inpatient hospitalization with mental health services.
  • Day treatment program: either a site-based structured mental health program with psychotherapy for 3+ individuals plus skills training under a mental health professional, or other programs designated by the commissioner of education consistent with MARSS (Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System) procedures.
• Use of extended time funds
  • Revenue may be used to support a range of extended-time activities, including extended day programs, extended week programs, summer school, vacation-break academies (e.g., spring/summer), and other programming under the learning year framework.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Expands eligibility for extended time revenue beyond traditional settings to include:
  • Offsite and onsite programs connected to CTE and STEM courses outside the regular day.
  • Students in day treatment programs and those in children's residential facilities (including mental health and psychiatric residential treatment facilities).
  • Summer and other extended-year programming under broader “learning year” authorization.
• Introduces explicit definitions and criteria for day treatment programs and for what constitutes a children’s residential facility.
• Adds explicit use cases and caps (0.20 times pupil unit weighting, tied to extended time allowance) for calculating revenue in these expanded contexts.
• Aligns program definitions with MARSS procedures and Minnesota Rules, ensuring standardized reporting and measurement.

How It Affects Schools and Students

• More funding and flexibility for districts to provide additional instructional time after the regular school year or outside standard hours.
• Increased support for students in CTE/STEM paths, as well as those receiving mental health services or in residential/therapeutic settings, through extended-time programming.
• Clearer rules on how to calculate and allocate this funding, including limits and required pairings with pupil weightings.

Relevant Terms extended time revenue extended time allowance ADM (average daily membership) adjusted pupil units pupil unit weighting minimum annual instructional hours CTE (career and technical education) STEM (science technology engineering and math) onsite education program offsite education program Prairie Lakes Education Center Lake Park School Independent School District No. 347 Willmar day treatment program children’s residential facility psychiatric residential treatment facility Minnesota Rules chapter 2960 Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System (MARSS) learning year program summer instruction extended day programs extended week programs