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SF3094 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Safe schools revenue increase

Related bill: HF2717

AI Generated Summary

Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to enhance the financial resources available for ensuring safety in Minnesota schools. It aims to increase the "safe schools revenue" and extend this funding to include cooperative units, which are groups of schools that cooperate on educational services.

Main Provisions

  • Safe Schools Revenue Changes: For fiscal year 2025, a school district's safe schools revenue will equal its safe schools levy. For fiscal year 2026 and beyond, the revenue will be the greater of $100,000 or 44 times the district’s pupil units.
  • Levy Expansion: School districts will be able to levy 36 times their adjusted pupil units for safe schools funding.
  • Safe Schools Aid: This aid will fill the gap between the safe schools revenue and the levy, adjusting the aid based on the district's levy ratio.
  • Intermediates and Cooperatives: Provides authority for member districts in intermediate school districts to include costs for safe schools activities in their levies. It also sets rules for cooperative units, starting in fiscal year 2027, for funding per pupil unit and establishes a tax rate aiming to generate $4,354,000 annually for such cooperative units.

Significant Changes

  • Inclusion of Cooperative Units: Extends safe schools revenue to cooperative units, allowing these entities that encompass multiple school districts to have their own safe schools funding mechanisms.
  • Expanded Use of Funds: The bill outlines specific uses for safe school funds, including paying for law enforcement services, drug and gang prevention programs, security enhancements, mental health services, and cybersecurity measures.

Use of Funds

  • The funds must be used for safety-related purposes such as hiring school resource officers, implementing prevention programs in schools, improving building security, and supporting mental health initiatives.
  • Special consideration is given to first attempt contracting police or sheriff's services locally before expanding to other service providers.

Relevant Terms

safe schools revenue, safe schools levy, cooperative units, intermediate school districts, fiscal year 2025, fiscal year 2026, fiscal year 2027, pupil units, safe schools aid, cybersecurity, mental health professionals, school safety, security enhancements, drug abuse prevention, gang resistance education.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
March 26, 2025SenateFloorActionIntroduction and first reading
March 26, 2025SenateFloorActionReferred toEducation Finance

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Introduces a new aid calculation for cooperative units and intermediate districts."
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "This bill modifies the provisions for safe schools revenue under section 126C.44.",
      "modified": [
        "Expands safe schools revenue to encompass cooperative units beginning fiscal year 2027."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "126C.44",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "References a drug abuse prevention program definition under section 609.101, subdivision 3.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "609.101",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 3"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        ""
      ],
      "removed": [
        ""
      ],
      "summary": "Defines a cooperative unit under section 123A.24, subdivision 2, for purposes of calculating safe schools revenue.",
      "modified": [
        ""
      ]
    },
    "citation": "123A.24",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 2"
  }
]

Sponsors