MN SF1037

Creates New Schools Minnesota commission with nine voting members to assist the governor, legislature, and commissioner of education in developing innovative public school models to improve student achievement and address fiscal challenges.

Commission membership includes the commissioner of education as chair for first three years, with the governor, speaker of the house, and senate majority leader each appointing three voting members; allows up to six nonvoting members from educators and education organizations.

Commission duties include conducting outreach for new school proposals, researching unmet student learning needs and fiscal stress in districts, developing application processes for self-governed schools and charter school sponsors, administering federal charter school grants, and reporting annually to state leadership.

Authorizes commission to create a private nonprofit corporation with tax-exempt status under federal law; nonprofit board members and executive director are subject to open meetings law, legislative audits, and ethics requirements but exempt from most state agency regulations.

Amends charter school statute to assign New Schools Minnesota specific functions including developing sponsor application and review processes, providing training to charter school sponsors, and managing the federal charter school grant through contract with the Department of Education.