Purpose

• This bill changes how Minnesota’s Safe Schools Revenue is funded and used. It expands who can receive this funding (including charter schools, cooperative units/intermediate districts, nonpublic schools, and American Indian Tribal contract schools) and sets new formulas for how much revenue districts, cooperative units, and other eligible entities receive. It also specifies how the money must be spent to improve safety, security, and student well-being in schools.

Main Provisions

• Safe Schools Revenue for districts

  • Fiscal year 2025: A school district’s safe schools revenue equals its safe schools levy.
  • Fiscal year 2026 and later: Revenue equals the greater of either $32,000 or the safe schools allowance per pupil times the district’s adjusted pupil units.
  • Safe Schools Allowance (fiscal year 2026 onward): $44 per adjusted pupil unit.

• Safe Schools Levy

  • The levy is set at $36 per adjusted pupil unit.

• Safe Schools Aid for districts

  • Safe schools aid equals safe schools revenue minus safe schools levy.
  • If a district does not levy the full permitted amount, the aid is reduced proportionally.

• Cooperative units (intermediate school districts)

  • Districts in a cooperative unit may include in their levy authority the costs of safe schools activities for cooperative unit programs, up to 15 times the member districts’ adjusted pupil units.
  • Revenue raised by cooperative units: $18 per adjusted pupil unit of its member districts.
  • For fiscal 2025 and 2026: Cooperative unit safe schools aid equals revenue minus levy.
  • For fiscal 2027 and later: Cooperative unit safe schools aid equals cooperative unit safe schools revenue.
  • Safe schools aid to a cooperative unit must be paid to the designated cooperative unit, and districts must designate only one cooperative unit to receive the aid.
  • Districts must transfer from their levy to the designated cooperative unit.

• Eligible recipients for Safe Schools Aid

  • Charter schools (fiscal year 2026 and later): Safe schools aid equals the safe schools allowance times the charter school’s adjusted pupil units.
  • Nonpublic schools (fiscal year 2026 and later): Safe schools aid equals the safe schools allowance times the school’s enrollment. Nonpublic schools must report enrollment and other required information; the payment schedule will be established by the commissioner.
  • American Indian Tribal contract schools (fiscal year 2026 and later): Safe schools aid equals the safe schools allowance times the pupil units for the school year computed under the relevant tribal contract school statute.

• Use of safe schools revenue

  • The funds must be reserved and used directly for listed safety- and well-being-related purposes, including:
  • Salaries, benefits, and transportation for peace officers and sheriffs assigned to districts’ schools.
  • Drug abuse prevention programs in elementary schools.
  • Gang resistance education and training programs.
  • School security costs for schools and school property.
  • Other crime prevention, drug abuse prevention, student and staff safety efforts, including suicide prevention tools and violence prevention measures (on an opt-in basis for some tools).
  • Licensed school mental health professionals (counselors, nurses, social workers, school psychologists, and substance-use disorder counselors) to support early intervention.
  • Facility security enhancements (e.g., laminated glass, public address systems, emergency communications devices, and violence-prevention-related facility modifications).
  • Improving school climate.
  • Colocating or collaborating with mental health professionals not employed by the district or providing school-linked mental health services (including telemedicine).
  • Cybersecurity measures (hardware/software upgrades, other systems upgrades, and cybersecurity insurance costs).
  • Implementation details for item 1 (police/sheriff services):
  • The district must first attempt to contract these services with the city police department or county sheriff’s department within the district.
  • If those departments do not provide the needed services, the district may contract with any other police or sheriff department located wholly or partially within the district boundaries.

Significant Changes from Current Law

• Expands Safe Schools Revenue to include charter schools, cooperative units (intermediate districts), nonpublic schools, and American Indian Tribal contract schools.
• Introduces per-pupil allowance and minimum revenue options, changing how revenue is calculated and compared to a district’s levy.
• Creates clear, enumerated uses for Safe Schools Revenue, with emphasis on safety, security, mental health, climate, and cybersecurity.
• Requires explicit contracting steps with local law enforcement before using external agencies for safety services.
• Establishes transfer and designation rules for cooperative unit funding and clarifies how aid flows to cooperative units.
• Requires nonpublic schools to report enrollment and sets a payment schedule for their Safe Schools Aid.

Implementation and Administration

• Revenue and aid calculations rely on per-pupil units, adjusted pupil units, and enrollment figures.
• The commissioner administers payment schedules for nonpublic schools and oversees the per-pupil allowance amounts.
• Cross-references to existing statutes (e.g., 123A.24, 124D.83, 123B.41) define cooperative units and specific tribal/contract school considerations.

Relevant Terms - Safe schools revenue - Safe schools levy - Safe schools aid - Safe schools allowance - Adjusted pupil units - Enrollment - Charter schools - Nonpublic schools - American Indian Tribal contract schools - Cooperative unit (intermediate school district) - Intermediate school district - Drug abuse prevention - Gang resistance education - School security - Suicide prevention tools - Mental health professionals (counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, substance use disorder counselors) - School climate - Telemedicine - Cybersecurity - Public safety partnerships (police departments, sheriffs) - Section references (123A.24, 124D.83, 123B.41)