SF4031

Purpose

• This bill expands and reorganizes Safe Schools Revenue to increase funding for school safety and related services. It broadens who can receive Safe Schools funds (districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and American Indian Tribal contract schools) and sets new funding formulas and uses for the money. It also creates rules for how funds are distributed through cooperative units (intermediate districts) and imposes a priority on contracting with local law enforcement where possible.

Main Provisions

• Creation and expansion of Safe Schools Revenue concepts:
  • Safe Schools Revenue for districts in fiscal year 2025 will equal the district’s Safe Schools levy.
  • From fiscal year 2026 onward, district Safe Schools Revenue will be the greater of $32,000 or (the Safe Schools Allowance for that year) multiplied by the district’s adjusted pupil units.
  • Safe Schools Allowance for fiscal year 2026 and later is set at 44 (per pupil unit or per district unit, as defined in statute).
  • The Safe Schools Levy for a district is 36 times its adjusted pupil units.
  • Safe Schools Aid for a district equals Safe Schools Revenue minus Safe Schools Levy; if a district does not levy the full amount, aid is reduced proportionally.
• Cooperative units (intermediate districts):
  • Districts that are members of an intermediate school district can 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. This is in addition to other authorities.
  • Revenue raised for cooperative unit Safe Schools Revenue equals 18 times the cooperative unit’s member districts’ adjusted pupil units.
  • For fiscal 2025–2026, district Safe Schools Aid for cooperative units equals the difference between cooperative unit Safe Schools Revenue and cooperative unit Safe Schools Levy.
  • For fiscal year 2027 and later, district Safe Schools Aid equals cooperative unit Safe Schools Revenue.
  • Safe Schools Aid for cooperative units must be paid to the designated cooperative unit, and districts must designate only one cooperative unit to receive that aid.
  • For 2025–2026, districts must transfer an amount equal to their Safe Schools Levy to the designated cooperative unit.
• Aid for charter, nonpublic, and American Indian Tribal contract schools:
  • Charter schools: Safe Schools Aid equals the Safe Schools Allowance times the charter school’s adjusted pupil units (starting in 2026).
  • Nonpublic schools: Safe Schools Aid equals the Safe Schools Allowance times the school’s enrollment (starting in 2026). Nonpublic schools must report enrollment and other required information; the commissioner will set a payment schedule.
  • American Indian Tribal contract schools: Safe Schools Aid equals the Safe Schools Allowance times the pupil units for that school year computed under the tribal contract school framework (section 124D.83).
• Use of Safe Schools Revenue:
  • Funds must be reserved and used for specified purposes, including: 1) Salaries, benefits, and transportation for peace officers and sheriffs assigned to liaison roles in schools. 2) Drug abuse prevention programs in elementary schools. 3) Gang resistance education and training programs. 4) School security in districts and school properties. 5) Other crime prevention, drug abuse prevention, student and staff safety, suicide prevention tools, and violence prevention measures (where districts opt in). 6) Licensed school counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and substance use disorder counselors to support early problem responses. 7) Facility security enhancements (e.g., laminate glass, public address systems, emergency communications devices, security-related facility modifications). 8) Efforts to improve school climate. 9) Colocation or collaboration with non-district mental health professionals or school-linked mental health services delivered by telemedicine. 10) Cybersecurity measures (updating hardware/software, system upgrades, cybersecurity insurance).
• Implementation details for uses:
  • For item 1 (peace officers), districts must first attempt to contract with the city police department or county sheriff’s department within the district. If those local departments don’t provide the needed services, districts may contract with other police or sheriff departments located within the district boundaries.

Significant Changes from Current Law

• Broadens eligibility: Safe Schools Revenue now applies to charter schools, nonpublic schools, and American Indian Tribal contract schools, in addition to traditional school districts.
• New funding formula: Introduces a safety fund that uses a Safe Schools Allowance paired with adjusted pupil units, plus a separate levy and revenue structure, with a floor (or minimum) of $32,000 for revenue calculations.
• Cooperative unit focus: Establishes a structured mechanism for distributing funds through cooperative units (intermediate districts) with specific rules on who receives aid and how it is calculated.
• Expanded allowed uses: Adds cybersecurity, expanded mental health supports, climate improvement, telemedicine, and more comprehensive safety-related interventions as allowable uses.
• Procurement priority: Requires districts to attempt local law enforcement contracts first for safety-related services.

Fiscal/Administrative Impacts

• Changes in how funds are calculated, distributed, and administered across districts, cooperative units, and schools (districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, tribal contract schools).
• New reporting and payment schedules for nonpublic schools and tribal contract schools.
• Administrative processes to designate cooperative units and to transfer levy funds to those units.

Affected Parties

• School districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, American Indian Tribal contract schools, and intermediate school districts (cooperative units).

Timeline / Implementation

• Fiscal year 2025: Safe Schools Revenue for districts equals their Safe Schools levy.
• Fiscal year 2026 and later: Revenue for districts equals greater of $32,000 or (Safe Schools Allowance times adjusted pupil units); Levy remains 36 times adjusted pupil units; Aid is revenue minus levy.
• Cooperative units: Revenue equals 18 times member districts’ adjusted pupil units; 2025–2026 Aid is revenue minus levy; 2027+ Aid equals revenue.
• Charter, nonpublic, and tribal contract school aid starts in 2026 under the new formulas.
• Payment and reporting requirements apply to nonpublic schools; districts must follow the cash transfer rules to cooperative units.

Relevant Terms - Safe Schools Revenue - Safe Schools Levy - Safe Schools Allowance - Safe Schools Aid - Adjusted pupil units - Cooperative unit Safe Schools Revenue - Cooperative unit Safe Schools Aid - Intermediate school district - Charter school - Nonpublic school - American Indian Tribal contract school - 124D.83 (tribal contract school pupil units) - 123A.24 (cooperative unit definition) - 609.101 (drug prevention reference) - School climate - Peace officers and sheriffs (liaison) - Drug abuse prevention - Gang resistance education training (G.R.E.A.T.) - School security - Telemedicine - Mental health professionals (counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists, substance use disorder counselors) - Cybersecurity - Facility security enhancements - Enrollment reporting - Payment schedule