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HF 4847

Monitoring and enforcement of special education case load limits required.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kari Rehrauer

Establishes statute-based special education caseloads, class sizes, and workloads with a formal complaint, investigation, and remedy process enforced by the Department of Education

Introduction and first reading, referred to Education Policy
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Bill Summary · HF 4847

HF 4847 Summary (Minnesota — 2025-2026 Session)

Purpose
- Establish monitoring and enforcement of special education case load limits, classroom sizes, and staff workload in Minnesota school districts.
- Create a formal process for reporting, investigating, and remedying violations of case loads and related requirements.
- Repeal outdated rules governing case loads and replace with statute-based standards.

Key Provisions

1) New statute: 125A.071 – Monitoring and Enforcement of Special Education Case Loads, Class Size, and Workload
- Subd. 1. Case loads, class size, and workload requirements for school-age students receiving special education
- Direct instruction more than 60% of the day:
- Deafblind or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or developmental cognitive disability (DCD) with severe-profound range or severe multiple impairments: no more than 3 students per adult.
- ASD or DCD with mild-moderate range or specific learning disability (SLD): no more than 12 students per teacher or 15 students with one or more paraprofessionals.
- Other disabilities: no more than 10 students with one paraprofessional or 12 with two paraprofessionals.
- For high behavioral/mental health needs causing disruption or safety concerns: districts must reduce class size to ensure safety.
- Direct instruction full school day:
- Deafblind or severe-profound ASD/DCD: no more than 4 students with one paraprofessional; additional paraprofessionals allow two more students per added paraprofessional.
- Other disabilities: no more than 8 students with one paraprofessional; each additional paraprofessional allows two more students.
- Subd. 1(b). Workload limits for staff serving students 60% or less of the day or providing related services (IEP services)
- District must adopt a board-approved policy to determine workloads for therapists, school psychologists, counselors, nurses, and other IEP service providers.
- Policy must consider: student contact minutes, evaluation time, indirect services, IEPs managed, travel time, and other IEP-required services.
- If staff are represented by a union, the policy must be negotiated in collective bargaining.
- Subd. 1(c). Covenant against excess adult-to-student ratios
- Collective bargaining agreements may not set adult-to-student or student-to-personnel ratios that exceed the limits in this section.
- Subd. 2. Case loads for early childhood program alternatives
- Maximums (adjusted downward for severity, travel, multi-program service, or multi-agency involvement):
- Birth–2 years: up to 12 children per teacher.
- 3–6 years: up to 16 children per teacher.
- Birth–6 years: up to 14 children per teacher.
- ECSE classrooms must have at least one paraprofessional; max enrollment with teacher + paraprofessional: 8; with an ECSE team: 16.
- Subd. 3. Complaint form
- Department of Education must post a form to file complaints alleging violation of case-load, class-size, or workload limits.
- Subd. 4. Investigation
- DOE Division of Assistance and Compliance must complete investigations within 60 days of a complaint.
- Written findings provided to complainant and district.
- If noncompliance is found, district must be given reasonable time to comply.
- DOE follows up; if still out of compliance, notify affected parents/guardians.
- Subd. 5. Summary of findings
- DOE must post a summary of findings on its website, redacting non-public information.
- Subd. 6. Effect of noncompliance
- CBAs must include remedies for noncompliance.
- District must implement remedies upon DOE determination.
- If no exclusive representative, district must consult with teachers/staff to determine an appropriate remedy.
- Effective Date
- Section 1 becomes effective July 1, 2026.

2) Repealer
- Repeals Minnesota Rules, part 3525.2340, subparts 4 and 5 (the existing case-load rules).
- Appendix lists the repealed rule in detail.

Impact and Practical Implications

  • Purpose-built statutory framework: Establishes concrete student-to-adult ratios by disability category for school-age students, with stricter limits for more intensive needs (e.g., deafblind, severe ASD/DCD).
  • Early childhood emphasis: Sets clear caps for ECSE teachers, with mandated paraprofessional support.
  • Workload policy for related services: Requires districts to adopt board-approved workload policies for therapists, school nurses, psychologists, and other IEP service providers, negotiated if represented.
  • Enforcement mechanism: Provides a formal complaint process, mandatory DOE investigations within 60 days, and public summaries of findings, plus remedies via CBAs or negotiated processes.
  • Compliance incentives: Noncompliance triggers remedies in CBAs and potential public accountability through posted findings.
  • Transition: Takes effect mid-2026, replacing former administrative rules with statute-based limits.

Notes
- The bill enumerates exact per-adult student ratios by disability type, with additional flexibility via paraprofessional staffing.
- It links compliance to collective bargaining and district administration actions, creating a structured enforcement pathway.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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