With a legislative deadline in two weeks, a state task force wrestling over how to spend $100 million in school integration aid has assigned some of its members to meet this weekend to find a consensus.

The subcommittee will draft one or more proposals to fulfill a legislative mandate to redirect money previously spent on moving students to improving student achievement.

Most task force members appointed by DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and the Republican-controlled Legislature seemed to find it acceptable to focus both on promoting integration and narrowing the achievement gap between white and minority students. But with just one remaining meeting scheduled for Tuesday before the Feb. 15 deadline, they haven't settled on how to divide the spending between the goals.

Those who would devote money more to integration argue that other state aid already is directed to the needs of low-income students who often fare poorly. Opponents argue that closing the achievement gap should be job one.

There seems to be a consensus that districts with similar demographics ought to get similar amounts of per-student funding. Minneapolis and St. Paul get far more than other districts in per-student money from state aid and local levies for integration, with a holdover from their large-scale busing programs that promoted integration. Minneapolis gets $480 per pupil in integration money, St. Paul gets $445 and Duluth gets $206. But some other districts with high minority populations, such as Columbia Heights or Worthington, get far less. Most districts required to carry out an integration plan get either $129 or $92 per pupil.

If there's a new program, the task force also agreed that there ought to be some transition to ease the blow for districts that get large amounts now.

One co-chair, Scott Thomas, a Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan administrator, offered a proposal that includes replacing the three integration districts now operating in the metro area with a single integration district. It would run a program like Choice Is Yours that now sends low-income Minneapolis students to suburban districts and operate the four current integration magnet schools. Thomas argued that such a metro district could lower administrative costs and save money in transporting students.

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438