Purpose

• The bill aims to improve safety in Minnesota schools by requiring districts and charter schools to develop and adopt evidence-based school safety plans. It creates a School Safety Center within the Department of Public Safety to oversee planning, fund safety improvements, review local plans, and report on progress. It also proposes establishing a School Safety Advisory Council and provides funding to support these efforts.

Key Provisions

• School Safety Center responsibilities

  • Develop an evidence-based model school safety plan for use by school boards.
  • Create criteria for deciding whether a plan is evidence-based.
  • Review local school safety plans and tell school boards whether they meet requirements.
  • Assess whether facility improvements meant to improve safety are evidence-based.
  • Administer grants to help implement evidence-based safety plans (as funding is available).
  • Prepare and post a report identifying which schools have adopted an evidence-based plan.
  • Submit the report to legislative committees and update it by December 1, 2028 and every two years after.

• Staffing

  • The Center must employ at least two school mental health professionals (licensed school psychologist, licensed school social worker, or licensed school counselor).
  • It may consult with the comprehensive school mental health services lead at the Department of Education.

• Model plan

  • The Center, with input from the Department of Education, must maintain and provide an evidence-based model plan to prevent human-caused safety incidents.
  • Evidence-based criteria include: strong, moderate, or promising evidence from well-designed studies, or a high-quality rationale plus ongoing evaluation.
  • The model plan must be posted on the Center’s website by September 1, 2026.
  • The Center may share model plans developed by third parties with school boards.

• Local school safety plan requirements

  • A school board must adopt an evidence-based local school safety plan that meets the model plan’s minimum requirements.
  • Plans may include a crisis management policy under section 121A.035.
  • Plans must be submitted to the Center for approval by May 1, 2028; the Center must notify approval/no approval by August 1, 2028.
  • Plans should describe efforts to create a positive school climate and to support student mental health.

• Notices and timelines for districts

  • If a school board fails to submit a plan or if the plan is not approved by August 15, 2028, the district must notify parents, students, and staff in plain language. The notice must explain the deadline, state that an evidence-based plan has not been adopted, and provide a contact for questions.
  • If a district does not adopt an evidence-based plan by August 30, 2028, it must adopt a plan developed in partnership with the Center (the Center’s plan can be amended with its approval).

• Nonpublic schools

  • Nonpublic schools are encouraged to develop an evidence-based plan and may consult with the Center on evidence-based approaches.

• Additional provisions

  • The Center may provide consulting services to K-12 schools for developing, improving, or implementing an evidence-based plan.
  • The bill authorizes funding to the Minnesota School Safety Center to support these activities.

How this changes existing law

• Establishes a formal process and standards for evidence-based school safety planning in Minnesota.
• Creates a new centralized oversight body (the School Safety Center) within the Department of Public Safety.
• Requires timelines and a formal approval process for local school safety plans.
• expands the role of mental health professionals in school safety planning.
• Introduces regular reporting on which schools have adopted evidence-based plans and how safety improvements are being implemented.
• Provides state funding to support safety planning and implementation.

Timeline Highlights

• September 1, 2026: The evidence-based model school safety plan must be posted.
• May 1, 2028: Local school safety plans must be submitted to the Center for approval.
• August 1, 2028: The Center must notify approval status for each plan.
• August 15, 2028: Deadline for notices to be sent if a district has not adopted an evidence-based plan.
• August 30, 2028: Districts without an approved plan must adopt one developed with the Center.
• December 1, 2028 and every two years thereafter: The Center must update and report on progress and adoption.

Impacts to Schools and Communities

• Schools will need to develop and adopt an evidence-based safety plan, including strategies to improve climate and student mental health.
• Districts may face new reporting, review, and approval steps, with potential grants to support implementation.
• Nonpublic and charter schools are encouraged to participate with Center guidance.
• The changes emphasize data-driven approaches and ongoing evaluation of safety interventions.

Administration and Oversight

• Agencies involved: Department of Public Safety (which houses the School Safety Center) and the Department of Education (for consultation on the model plan).
• Local education agencies: School boards (districts and charter schools) and nonpublic schools in Minnesota.

Potential Challenges

• Meeting the defined timelines for plan development, submission, and approval.
• Ensuring adequate funding and staffing to implement evidence-based practices.
• Aligning local plans with model plan criteria and maintaining ongoing evaluation.

Overall Goal

• To reduce human-caused safety incidents in schools by standardizing the use of evidence-based safety practices, improving school climate, and strengthening student mental health supports through a coordinated state-level framework.

Relevant Terms - evidence-based school safety plan - humancaused safety incidents - School Safety Center - Department of Public Safety - Minnesota Department of Education - model plan - evidence-based criteria (experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational) - school mental health professionals - licensed school psychologist - licensed school social worker - licensed school counselor - crisis management policy - positive school climate - student mental health - grants - local school safety plan - plan approval process - plain language notice - School Safety Advisory Council - third-party safety plans - nonpublic school - ongoing evaluation