Purpose

• Create a temporary, one-year change to how student enrollment is counted for funding purposes. The goal is to allow districts to continue counting certain students in average daily membership (ADM) for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year when disruptions prevent regular attendance.

Main provisions

• For the 2025-2026 school year only, the commissioner must allow a school district or charter school to count all students in average daily membership who:
  • were enrolled in the school prior to January 1, 2026, and
  • have not reenrolled in another Minnesota school.
• This allowance applies even if these students were prevented from attending for more than:
  • 15 consecutive school days during the regular school year, or
  • 5 consecutive days during summer school or intersession classes of a flexible school year.
• The disruption must be due to epidemic calamity, weather, fuel shortage, or another justifiable cause.
• The commissioner must approve this on an application from the district or charter school.
• A lawful employees strike is specifically not considered a justifiable cause for purposes of this provision.
• The provision is added as a temporary exception to the existing rule (Notwithstanding subdivision 8) governing ADM calculations.

Significant changes to existing law

• Introduces a temporary exception to ADM counting that can increase ADM for the 2025-2026 year by counting students who would normally be excluded due to nonattendance caused by specified disruptions.
• Expands discretion to the commissioner to approve districts’ or charter schools’ ADM counts through an application process.
• Narrows the allowed reasons for counting beyond typical “justifiable cause” by listing epidemic calamity, weather, fuel shortage, or other justifiable causes.
• Explicitly excludes lawful employee strikes from qualifying as justifiable causes.
• Limits the change to a specific school year (2025-2026) rather than a permanent policy.

Applicability and definitions (key concepts)

• Average daily membership (ADM) as the metric affected.
• Justifiable cause, including epidemic calamity, weather, fuel shortage, or other justifiable causes.
• Enrolled prior to January 1, 2026 and not reenrolled in another Minnesota school.
• Districts or charter schools applying to the commissioner for permission to count these students.
• Notwithstanding subdivision 8, meaning this provision overrides certain existing rules for ADM counting during the 2025-2026 year.

Relevant terms - average daily membership (ADM) - justifiable cause - epidemic calamity - weather - fuel shortage - other justifiable cause - enrollment - not reenrolled - Minnesota school - district - charter school - commissioner - application - 2025-2026 school year - subdivision 8 - lawful employees strike

Relevant Terms - ADM, average daily membership - justifiable cause - epidemic calamity - weather - fuel shortage - enrollment, reenrollment - district, charter school - commissioner - application - 2025-2026 school year - subdivision 8 - strike