Purpose

• The bill updates and expands how Safe Schools funding is provided to school districts, charter schools, and cooperative/intermediate units. It aims to boost safety-related spending in schools by creating a combined funding approach (aid and levy) and broadening eligible uses to include more safety, mental health, cybersecurity, and climate-related needs.

Main Provisions

• Safe schools revenue for districts
  • For fiscal years 2025 and 2026: a district’s safe schools revenue equals its safe schools levy.
  • For fiscal year 2027 and later: a district’s safe schools revenue equals the sum of its safe schools aid and its safe schools levy.
• Safe schools aid for districts
  • The safe schools aid for a district equals 100 times the district’s adjusted pupil units for the school year.
• Safe schools levy for districts
  • The safe schools levy equals 36 times the district’s adjusted pupil units.
• Safe schools revenue for intermediate school districts
  • An intermediate school district’s safe schools revenue equals the sum of its safe schools levy and its cooperative unit safe schools aid.
• Safe schools revenue levy for intermediate districts
  • A district that is a member of an intermediate school district may include in its levy authority the costs for safe schools activities for intermediate district programs. The authority must be capped by a formula tied to adjusted pupil units (the exact calculation is defined in the statute and limited by it). Revenue raised under this subdivision must be transferred to the intermediate school district.
• Safe schools aid for cooperative units
  • A cooperative unit’s safe schools aid equals 35 times the adjusted pupil units of its member districts for the school year.
  • A district must designate only one cooperative unit as the recipient of its cooperative unit safe schools aid, in a form and manner specified by the commissioner.
  • The cooperative unit receives the safe schools aid paid by the district in the manner specified by the commissioner.
• Safe schools aid for charter schools
  • For fiscal year 2027 and later, safe schools aid for a charter school equals 100 times the charter school’s adjusted pupil units for the school year.
• Use of safe schools revenue
  • Safe schools revenue must be reserved and used to directly fund: 1) salaries, benefits, and transportation costs for peace officers and sheriffs for liaison services in district schools 2) drug abuse prevention programs in elementary schools 3) gang resistance education training curricula 4) security in the district’s schools and on school property 5) other crime prevention, drug abuse, student and staff safety, suicide prevention tools, and violence prevention measures 6) licensed school counselors, nurses, social workers, school psychologists, and substance use disorder counselors to help with early problem responses 7) facility security enhancements (e.g., laminated glass, public address systems, emergency devices, and violence-prevention-related facility improvements) 8) efforts to improve school climate 9) colocating and collaborating with non-district mental health professionals 10) cybersecurity measures (including updating hardware/software, systems upgrades, and cybersecurity insurance)
  • Procurement preference: for expenditures under the safety-related items, districts should first attempt to contract with local police departments (city police or county sheriff departments) within the district to provide the services. If a local department does not provide the needed services, districts may contract with other police or sheriff departments located within the district boundaries.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a unified Safe Schools funding framework that blends aid and levy for districts starting in 2027, rather than relying solely on a levy.
• Extends safe schools aid to charter schools (100 times adjusted pupil units) and to cooperative units (through cooperative unit aid at 35 times adjusted pupil units).
• Expands eligible uses of Safe Schools funds to broader safety, mental health, and technology needs (e.g., cybersecurity, licensed mental health staff, violence prevention, school climate improvements).
• Adds a system where districts must first seek local police department services for safety needs, with flexibility to contract with other departments if local ones do not provide the necessary services.
• Formalizes funding allocations based on adjusted pupil units and charter school pupil units, with explicit per-unit multipliers (e.g., 100x for districts/charters, 35x for cooperative unit aid, 36x for district levy).

Relevant Terms - Safe schools revenue - Safe schools levy - Safe schools aid - Districts / school districts - Intermediate school district - Cooperative unit - Charter school - Adjusted pupil units - Pupil units (APU) - Peace officers / sheriffs - Drug abuse prevention - Gang resistance education - School security / facility security - School climate - Licensed school counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, substance use disorder counselors - Mental health professionals (non-district) - Cybersecurity measures - Public safety and violence prevention - Local police departments / police departments within city or county - Transfer of revenue to intermediate districts - Liaisons in district schools