Committee hears bill to broaden instructional hours for secondary schools; students, advocates testify

The House Education Finance Committee laid over House File 1607 on March 18, 2025, after testimony that the bill would give districts flexibility to count supervised, competency‑based experiences such as internships, apprenticeships and project‑based learning toward secondary instructional hours.

Representative Jennifer Clardy, the bill’s sponsor, said the proposal ‘‘empowers districts to innovate’’ by giving clarity and optional flexibility in how hours of instruction are defined for secondary schools. Clardy emphasized the change would not be a statewide mandate but an option for districts that want to adopt different credit‑earning experiences.

Education Evolving policy director Dr. Akela Roberson testified in support and described the bill as a system‑wide opportunity to formalize flexibility first explored by innovation zones. ‘‘HF 1607 addresses this need system wide,’’ Roberson said, adding that many students learn in settings outside the traditional classroom and that pairing flexibility with oversight can help districts recognize those experiences.

Students and young adults testified about their experiences with learning outside the usual school day. Cheryl Edwards, a student at Exploration High School in North Minneapolis, described fellowship and travel experiences that occurred outside regular school hours but earned credit: ‘‘These unique learning experiences reignited my passion for learning,’’ she said, and she urged lawmakers to expand options for students who benefit from nontraditional learning.

Keith Blassingame, a senior at Volunteers of America High School, and Julian Spencer, a 21‑year‑old graduate who runs the Good Trouble initiative, both told the committee that allowing credit for internships, apprenticeships and supervised project learning could help disengaged students stay in school and acquire practical skills.

Members asked about measures of effectiveness and protections for student access. Representative Morgan Green asked how districts would measure outcomes; Representative Baeckburg (the bill sponsor in the later bill) and others described locally determined pre/post measures such as attendance and academic performance, and said the bill intends to encourage districts to track outcomes while allowing local flexibility.

Committee members also raised concerns about equitable access, special education protections and the potential for added workload on educators. Caitlin Snyder of Education Minnesota suggested a technical amendment to clarify that staff cannot be required to work Saturdays or outside the typical workday without agreement.

Representative Clardy said she is working with the Minnesota Department of Education to refine statutory language and insisted the bill preserves student protections; she renewed her motion to lay the bill over for possible omnibus inclusion, and the chair laid it over for further consideration.

The hearing record shows bipartisan support among members present; the committee took no roll‑call vote at this hearing and recorded the layover by voice.

What was discussed: expansion of definitional flexibility to allow ‘‘anytime, anywhere’’ supervised learning for credit, student testimonials on reengagement, concerns about measurement and equity, and suggested technical language to protect teachers’ contract hours.

Next steps: House File 1607 was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill or future consideration.