HF875

The bill H.F. No., authored by Representative Schomacker and referred to the Committee on Education Finance, focuses on expanding the allowable uses of student support personnel aid. It primarily amends a 2024 section of the Minnesota Statutes, specifically section 124D.901 subdivision 4.

Key Changes Proposed by the Bill: 1. Enhancement of support services: The aid can now be used not only for hiring or contracting personnel but also for costs relating to transportation, equipment, supplies, informational materials, communications, or personnel training.

1. Flexibility in personnel usage:

   • The aid can be employed to hire new student support services personnel, enhance existing part-time positions to full or greater service hours, make temporary positions permanent (especially those initially created with federal funds from acts like the CARES Act or the American Rescue Plan), or maintain positions at risk of being cut.

2. Transfer to cooperative units: Aid expressly meant for cooperative student support personnel can be transferred to and used by intermediate districts or other cooperative units similar to how it is used in individual districts.

3. Provision for contracted services: If a district, charter school, or cooperative unit faces difficulty in hiring directly due to receiving fewer than two applications for a role, it can utilize the aid to contract licensed professionals like school counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses, or chemical dependency counselors.

This legislation aims to provide more flexibility and support to educational institutions in managing and expanding their student support services, thus enhancing the overall educational support structure.