School district or charter school allowed to opt out of statewide assessments.
Summary
HF3770 would allow a Minnesota school district or charter school board, for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years only, to opt out of all statewide assessments. The opt-out authority would cover standard statewide tests as well as alternate assessments and English language proficiency assessments. The bill ties the decision to the effects of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity on students, staff, and the broader school community.
If a district or charter school chooses to opt out, it must notify the commissioner of education as soon as practicable. The bill is temporary and would take effect the day after final enactment. It does not create a permanent change to Minnesota’s testing system, but instead creates a short-term exception for the two specified school years.
Impact
The bill would temporarily override existing state assessment requirements by allowing local school boards and charter school boards to suspend participation in statewide testing programs, including alternate and English language proficiency assessments. This would affect the administration of Minnesota’s accountability and assessment framework for the covered school years and could reduce statewide testing data for participating schools. The measure would also require notification to the Department of Education, but it does not specify additional reporting, approval, or replacement assessment requirements.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text, the measure appears motivated by concern for student and staff disruption related to federal immigration enforcement activity, suggesting a protective intent toward affected school communities. The overall sentiment in the available materials is therefore best characterized as unresolved, with the bill introduced and referred to the House Education Policy Committee.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely to be whether local districts should be permitted to opt out of statewide assessments in response to immigration enforcement concerns, since that would reduce uniform testing and could affect accountability, comparability, and compliance with state and federal education expectations. Supporters would likely emphasize student well-being, school climate, and the disruptive effects of ICE activity, while opponents may argue that statewide assessments are important for measuring achievement and ensuring consistent educational oversight. Because no hearing transcript or vote record is available, the specific positions of legislators, school officials, or advocacy groups are not documented in the provided materials.
A bill for an act relating to the administration of the statewide summative assessment of student progress to students of online schools by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools.(See HF 190.)
A bill for an act relating to the administration of the statewide summative assessment of student progress to students of online schools by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools.(See SF 211.)
A bill for an act relating to the administration of the statewide summative assessment of student progress to students of online schools by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools.(Formerly SSB 1025.)
A bill for an act relating to the administration of the statewide summative assessment of student progress to students of online schools by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools. (Formerly HSB 33.) Effective date: 07/01/2025.