Purpose

• Establish a one-time funding program to improve school safety through an anonymous threat reporting system. The bill provides grants to eligible schools to develop, implement, and maintain an anonymous threat reporting system, with support for staff who respond to threats.

Who is eligible and where

• Eligible recipients: school districts, charter schools, cooperative units, and Tribal contract schools.
• Geographic distribution: grants must be awarded across all regions of the state, with at least half of the awards going to schools whose administrative offices are outside the 11-county metropolitan area.

How the grants work

• Source and administration: a FY 2027 general fund appropriation to the Department of Public Safety for the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, in consultation with the Minnesota School Safety Center.
• Grant process: districts, charter schools, cooperative units, or Tribal contract schools may apply in the form specified by the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management; the division may award grants in more than one round.
• Grant caps and matching: grants are given to eligible schools up to a per-recipient maximum amount; recipients must provide at least a 50% match from nonstate funds.
• Allowed uses: funds may be used for the development, purchase, implementation, operation, and maintenance of the anonymous threat reporting system, including staff compensation and paying staff who respond to threats received through the system.
• Pre-award requirements: applicants must provide documentation showing how the grant will be used and how staff will respond to threats.

Administration and oversight

• Administrative share: the Department of Public Safety may retain up to 10% of the appropriation to administer the grants; the Minnesota School Safety Center may use funds to provide technical assistance to recipients.
• Reporting: by February 15 following each grant year, the Minnesota School Safety Center, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Department of Public Safety must report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over K-12 education and public safety. The report must identify grant recipients and how the funds were used by each recipient.

Financial and time frame details

• One-time appropriation: this is not a continuing program; the money is available through June 30, 2028.
• Timing: the fiscal year 2027 appropriation is the trigger for starting the grant program.

Significance

• The bill aims to enhance school safety by enabling districts and schools to deploy anonymous threat reporting systems and ensure there are staff resources to manage and respond to reported threats.

Relationship to existing law

• Grants are limited to eligible entities described in state law (including references to Minnesota Statutes 123A.24 and Tribal contract schools) and align with state safety and emergency management agencies.

Relevant Terms anonymous threat reporting system grants school districts charter schools cooperative units Tribal contract schools Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Minnesota School Safety Center Department of Public Safety general fund appropriation nonstate match staff compensation threat response implementation operation maintenance administration reporting requirements one-time appropriation June 30, 2028 11-county metropolitan area geographic distribution grant administration technical assistance