Senate panel lays over bill that defines "hours of instruction" to expand flexible, student-centered learning (Senate File 2250)

Senate File 2250, a bill to define "hours of instruction" in Minnesota statute and protect district flexibility to count supervised, credited educational experiences beyond traditional seat time, was introduced and laid over by the Minnesota Senate Education Finance Committee on Dec. 25, 2025.

Sponsor Senator Kunish said the term "hours of instruction" appears in eight separate chapters of state education code but is not defined in statute. The bill would explicitly define instructional hours for secondary schools to include a broad set of "educational experiences" (for example, internships, project-based learning, service learning and supervised community-based learning) that allow students to earn academic credit, are available to all students, and are supervised, coordinated and verified by a qualified teacher. The bill would not change pupil unit funding or allow experiences outside the normal school year.

Testifiers included superintendents, high school principals and teachers describing how flexibility has improved engagement and outcomes. Patrick Walsh, a longtime administrator, said the bill "provides much clarity to the districts as a framework, to innovate and develop courses of study" and is particularly important for rural and charter schools. Jeff Palicki, principal at Shakopee High School, described capstone and community partnership experiences and said the bill would "empower districts with the flexibility to design learning experiences that best meet the needs of their students."

Students and youth advocates also testified. Julian Spencer, a North Minneapolis graduate involved with an initiative called Good Trouble, told the committee that allowing internships and apprenticeships to count as instructional time could keep disengaged students in school. A student from Exploration High School described earning credit for learning that took place outside the traditional school day.

Supporters and district leaders emphasized that the bill would not mandate changes for districts that prefer traditional scheduling; instead, it provides a statutory definition to reduce inconsistencies and allow districts to innovate. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill; no final vote was taken at the hearing.