Minnesota education bill advances after department outlines statutory fixes, charter accountability and literacy changes

The Minnesota Senate Education Policy Committee heard a comprehensive presentation on the governor's education policy bill, Senate File 1740, and adopted an author's A1 amendment before laying the bill over for possible inclusion in the larger omnibus package.

The Department of Education told the committee the bill is intended to reduce statutory ambiguities, support schools and students, and strengthen program integrity. "This bill serves a few purposes, ensuring statutory integrity, supporting our schools and students by reducing uncertainty where possible, and upholding our values as Minnesota's education agency," Commissioner Willie Jett told the committee.

The bill bundles a range of technical fixes and policy changes across K'12 law: clarifications to Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) eligibility, a one-year extension and timing clarifications for kindergarten assessment, an option to lengthen adult basic education (ABE) program approvals to six years, expanded charter-school transparency and early-intervention measures, adjustments to Read Act implementation and curricula review, and statutory changes to the Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) to strengthen investigative tools and data protections.

Why it matters: The bill combines housekeeping changes that department staff said remove confusing cross-references and obsolete carve-outs with policy items the department framed as reducing disruption to students (for example, earlier reporting for charter mergers so the department can provide guidance) and improving program oversight (including broader OIG authority to investigate alleged fraud, waste, theft and to suspend payments on credible allegations).

Major provisions and debate

PSEO, ABE and online instruction

Megan Adeola, legislative policy manager for the Minnesota Department of Education, walked the committee through the bill section by section. She said the measure explicitly extends PSEO access to charter and tribal contract schools and removes obsolete carve-outs that would otherwise allow postsecondary institutions to advertise PSEO courses in years that no longer exist. The bill also clarifies a definitional citation in the Online Instruction Act and changes ABE program approval periods from five to six years to allow programs to pursue funding opportunities that require longer program commitments.

Charter schools and authorizers

The bill includes multiple changes aimed at charter-school oversight. Among them are: - Requiring market-need and demand studies for expansions and relocations of charter programs and sites. - Moving the reporting deadline for mergers earlier (from July 1 to June 1) so MDE can review and raise issues before a fiscal year begins. - Requiring charter school board meetings to be audio and video recorded, published within 30 days and kept on the school's website for at least 365 days. - Requiring that certain supplemental audit materials submitted to authorizers also be provided to MDE so the department can identify year-to-year trends that may indicate risk to students' educational continuity.

MDE officials framed these as transparency and early-intervention measures. "These changes will push charter schools to be more responsive to student and family needs and function more responsibly," Commissioner Jett said in answer to committee questions about the department's intent.

Read Act, literacy screening and curriculum review

Article 4 of the bill modifies Read Act implementation and related literacy statutes. Changes include clarifying oral and written language expectations, aligning screener and intervention language with MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support), clarifying who may administer approved screeners, and establishing a five-year cycle for curriculum review. The bill also aligns Minnesota Reading Corps language with the Read Act.

Several senators asked whether classwide tier-1 interventions implied that advanced readers would be asked to participate in whole-class remediation. Committee members and department staff described tier 1 as classwide instructional shifts (for example, changes in instructional routines or increased explicit instruction) that are distinct from individualized tier-2 or tier-3 supports. "Tier 1 is designed to support all students in the classroom," Senator Kunish explained during discussion, while Ms. Adeola and Commissioner Jett said tier-2 and tier-3 services remain targeted and additive to tier-1 work.

School mental health

The bill adds a statutory definition for a comprehensive school mental health system (CSMHS) aligned with national best practices; the department emphasized the definition is permissive, not mandatory. In response to questions about whether a CSMHS triggers interagency funding or specific new mandates, department staff said the change is intended to help districts identify and align existing services with best-practice components, not to create unfunded requirements.

Office of Inspector General and program integrity

The bill makes several changes to MDE's Office of Inspector General statute, including: - Explicit authority to investigate theft in addition to fraud, waste and abuse. - Statutory protections for OIG investigative data (mirroring DHS OIG practice) and the ability to access certain nonpublic data without subject consent during an open investigation. - Clarified notice and appeal procedures for entities subject to sanctions, and authority to recommend exclusion of program participants from other state funding streams. - Authority to suspend payments on a credible allegation of fraud while investigations proceed.

Department staff said these changes reflect operational lessons from the OIG's first year and bring MDE into alignment with other state OIG practices.

Committee action and next steps

Senator Susinski offered the author's A1 amendment and the committee approved it by voice vote. The committee later "laid over" Senate File 1740 as amended for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

What was not decided

The committee did not take a final vote to pass SF 1740 to the full Senate; it was laid over for further consideration. The bill contains implementation timelines and statutory references that will require follow-up if the omnibus process moves it forward.

Who spoke (selected)

- Willie Jett, Commissioner of Education, Minnesota Department of Education (testimony and Q&A) - Megan Adeola, Legislative Policy Manager, Minnesota Department of Education (section-by-section presentation) - Senator Kunish, Chair, Senate Education Policy Committee (presided, asked questions) - Senator Susinski (moved the A1 amendment) - Senator Abler (asked a series of questions about mental health and Read Act implementation) - Senator Wiesenberg (asked about classroom practice and differentiation)

Ending

Committee members praised the breadth of the bill and kept the measure under committee consideration. Committee staff and MDE indicated follow-up conversations are expected as the bill proceeds through the omnibus process, particularly around implementation guidance for the Read Act, charter-school reporting details, and OIG procedures.

Votes at a glance

- A1 (author's) amendment to SF 1740: adopted by voice vote after Senator Susinski moved adoption. - Senate File 1740 as amended: laid over for possible inclusion in the larger omnibus bill (no final passage vote taken).