Committee refers bill to consolidate innovation statutes, create clearer option for local district programs

Representative Ben Baker presented House File 1435, a bill to create a new chapter of law to consolidate and clarify existing education innovation statutes and provide local school districts clearer authority to pursue innovation programs. Baker said the bill would not create new spending and would not affect existing grant programs such as P‑TECH.

The committee adopted the author’s A1 amendment, said Chair Bennett, and then voted to re‑refer the measure to the Education Finance Committee for further consideration. Baker said the bill’s aims are twofold: to consolidate scattered innovation provisions into a single statutory chapter and to put planning and decision making “in the hands of educators, school boards, parents, and not the commissioner.”

Testimony in support included Dr. Akila Roberson, policy director at Education Evolving, who described Minnesota’s previous innovation‑zone work and cited examples of interdistrict collaboration that produced career‑focused programs. Patrick Walsh, superintendent at Belle Plaine‑based districts (Belgrade, BBE/Roseau noted in testimony), told the committee that the innovation program had been dormant at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and that clearer direction in statute would help districts pursue innovation locally.

Megan Adeola of MDE said the department reviews applications for various innovation programs but that how a given proposal is handled depends on the type of program, the students served and federal/state requirements — “it depends,” she said. Representative Lee Jordan and others said the bill would empower local districts to replicate programs that work elsewhere without waiting for unclear or slow state approval processes. Several members highlighted concrete examples of innovations such as extended conference hours and flexible learning days that districts had used to increase family engagement.

The committee re‑referred House File 1435 as amended to Education Finance. Members said they will continue work on implementation details in finance committee, including possible fiscal supports.

Ending: Committee members praised the intention to empower local educators and directed the bill to the next committee for fiscal review.