HF5015

Purpose

The bill aims to strengthen school safety in Minnesota by creating a centralized framework for school safety planning. It focuses on developing an evidence-based model safety plan, guiding local schools to adopt plans that meet that standard, and improving accountability through reporting. The bill also signals support for anonymous reporting systems, funding changes related to safe schools, and related administrative updates.

Main Provisions

• Minnesota School Safety Center duties
  • Develop an evidence-based model school safety plan for use by school boards.
  • Create criteria to determine whether a plan is evidence-based.
  • Review local school safety plans and tell school boards whether those plans meet the requirements.
  • Assess whether school facility improvements intended to improve safety are evidence-based.
  • Administer grants to help implement evidence-based school safety plans, to the extent grant money is available.
  • Prepare and post a report identifying which schools have adopted an evidence-based school safety plan, and share the report on the Center’s website. Submit the report to legislative committees with jurisdiction over public safety and K–12 education. Update the report by December 1, 2028 and every two years thereafter.
• Model plan standards
  • The Center, with input from the Department of Education, must maintain an evidence-based model school safety plan that focuses on preventing human-caused safety incidents.
  • “Evidence-based” means the plan or intervention shows a strong, moderate, or promising body of evidence from carefully designed research, or a solid rationale based on high-quality findings, and includes ongoing evaluation.
  • The model plan must be posted on the Center’s website no later than September 1, 2026. The Center may share evidence-based plans developed by third parties with school boards.
• Local school safety plans
  • A school board of a district or charter school may adopt an evidence-based school safety plan that meets the minimum requirements of the model plan to prevent human-caused safety incidents.
  • Local plans may include a crisis management policy under another statute (crisis planning provisions).
  • Local plans must be submitted to the Minnesota School Safety Center no later than May 1, 2028, with subsequent plans submitted upon adoption by the following May 1.
  • Nonpublic schools are encouraged to develop an evidence-based school safety plan and may consult with the Minnesota School Safety Center on evidence-based approaches.
• Implementation support and consultation
  • The Minnesota School Safety Center may provide consulting services to K–12 schools to develop, improve, or implement an evidence-based school safety plan.
  • The Center must consult with at least two school mental health professionals (licensed school psychologist, licensed school social worker, or licensed school counselor) to implement the requirements.
  • The Center may also consult with the comprehensive school mental health services lead at the Department of Education under another statute.
• Scope and purpose of plans
  • The model plan and any adopted local plans aim to prevent human-caused safety incidents in schools.

Implementation Timeline Highlights

• Model plan posted on the Center’s website: by September 1, 2026.
• Local school safety plan submission: no later than May 1, 2028; subsequent plans upon adoption by the following May 1.
• Biennial reporting: initial report updates by December 1, 2028, and every two years thereafter.

Significance and Expected Impact

• Creates a centralized, evidence-based standard for school safety planning to guide districts and charter schools.
• Enhances transparency by publishing the model plan and local plan status, and by reporting to legislative committees.
• Strengthens collaboration between the Minnesota School Safety Center, the Department of Education, and school mental health professionals.
• Encourages nonpublic schools to pursue evidence-based safety planning.

How It Fits with Other Provisions (Context)

• The bill’s broader scope includes potential modifications to related funding programs and reporting requirements, in addition to school safety planning. It references anonymous reporting systems and changes to related statutes and grant programs, signaling a comprehensive approach to school safety governance.

Potential Areas for Implementation

• Recruiting and coordinating licensed mental health professionals to participate in plan development and evaluation.
• Establishing and updating the evidence-based criteria and ensuring consistent application across districts.
• Coordinating with schools to meet May 1, 2028 submission deadlines and subsequent updates.
• Managing grant programs to support implementation of approved safety plans.

Relevant Terms - Minnesota School Safety Center - evidence-based - model school safety plan - local school safety plan - crisis management policy - human-caused safety incidents - licensed school psychologist - licensed school social worker - licensed school counselor - comprehensive school mental health services lead - Department of Education - school board - district - charter school - nonpublic school - grants (safe schools funding) - reporting to legislative committees - public website posting - May 1, 2028 deadline - September 1, 2026 posting deadline - December 1, 2028 update deadline