SF3713

Purpose

This bill would change Minnesota’s education funding by increasing and restructuring safe schools revenue. It creates and modifiesSafe schools revenue, Safe schools aid, and Safe schools levy for school districts, intermediate school districts, cooperative units, and charter schools. The overall goal is to provide more money to support school safety, student well-being, and related services.

Key concepts and definitions

• Safe schools revenue: combines Safe schools aid and Safe schools levy for districts, or the equivalent combination for other entities.
• Safe schools aid: a state allotment calculated by a multiplier times a district’s adjusted pupil units; applies to school districts, cooperative units, and (from 2027 onward) charter schools.
• Safe schools levy: a local property tax levy calculated by a multiplier times a district’s adjusted pupil units.
• Adjusted pupil units: a measure used to scale aid and levy amounts to each district’s size.
• Intermediate school district: a regional entity that may receive Safe schools revenue consisting of its levy plus cooperative unit Safe schools aid.
• Cooperative unit: a regional cooperative that receives its own Safe schools aid and designates a single recipient district.
• Charter schools: receive Safe schools aid starting in 2027, calculated as 100 times their adjusted pupil units.
• Peace officers and sheriffs, mental health professionals, and other safety-related positions: the bill specifies how Safe schools revenue can be used to staff and support these roles.

Revenue calculations by entity

• School districts:
  • Fiscal years 2025–2026: Safe schools revenue equals its Safe schools levy.
  • Fiscal year 2027 and later: Safe schools revenue equals the sum of Safe schools aid and Safe schools levy.
• Safe schools aid for districts: equal to 100 times the district’s adjusted pupil units.
• Safe schools levy for districts: equal to 36 times the district’s adjusted pupil units.
• Intermediate school districts:
  • Safe schools revenue equals the sum of the district’s Safe schools levy and cooperative unit Safe schools aid.
  • The levy authority for intermediate districts may include costs for Safe schools activities in their programs, but only up to a limit based on the product of a multiplier and the adjusted pupil units of member districts.
  • Revenue raised under this subsection is transferred to the intermediate school district.
• Cooperative units:
  • Safe schools aid equals 35 times the adjusted pupil units of the cooperative unit’s member school districts.
  • A district must designate only one cooperative unit as the recipient of its cooperative unit Safe schools aid, and the aid is paid to that cooperative unit.
• Charter schools:
  • Safe schools aid equals 100 times the charter school’s adjusted pupil units, starting in fiscal year 2027.

Authorized uses of Safe schools revenue

Safe schools revenue must be reserved and used (or reimbursed to cities/counties that contract with the district) for directly funding: 1) Salaries, benefits, and transportation costs of peace officers and sheriffs for liaison services in district schools. 2) Drug abuse prevention programs in elementary schools. 3) Gang resistance education and training curricula in district schools. 4) Security in district schools and on school property. 5) Other crime prevention, drug abuse prevention, student and staff safety measures, suicide prevention tools, and violence prevention measures (voluntary opt-in). 6) Licensed school staff such as counselors, nurses, social workers, school psychologists, and substance use disorder counselors to help address problems early. 7) Facility security enhancements (e.g., laminated glass, public address systems, emergency communications devices, and related equipment) and facility security improvements aimed at violence prevention. 8) Improving school climate. 9) Colocating and collaborating with non-district mental health professionals. 10) Cybersecurity measures, including updating computer hardware/software, other system upgrades, and cybersecurity insurance costs.

Governance, contracting, and implementation details

• The district must first attempt to contract for safety-related services with the police department of each city or the county sheriff’s department within the district boundaries.
• If a local department cannot provide the needed services, the district may contract with any other police or sheriff department located wholly or partly within the district boundaries.

Significant changes and implications

• Introduces a unified Safe schools revenue framework that blends aid and levy for districts starting 2027, with earlier years using levy-only funding.
• Establishes specific multipliers (districts: 100x for aid, 36x for levy; cooperative units: 35x; charter schools: 100x) to calculate aid and levy.
• Expands the allowed uses of Safe schools revenue to cover a broad set of safety, health, and cybersecurity initiatives, as well as staff and mental health supports.
• Creates a structured funding pathway for intermediate districts and cooperative units, including designations for aid recipients and transfer of funds to cooperative or intermediate districts.
• Adds explicit procurement rules for safety services, prioritizing local police/sherriff providers but allowing flexibility if needed.

Relevant changes to existing law include the way Safe schools revenue is calculated and reserved, the expanded list of eligible uses, and the explicit contracting requirements for safety services.

Relevant Terms - Safe schools revenue - Safe schools aid - Safe schools levy - Safe schools program - Adjusted pupil units - Districts - Intermediate school districts - Cooperative units - Cooperative unit Safe schools aid - Charter schools - Peace officers and sheriffs - Drug abuse prevention - Gang resistance education training - School security - School climate - Mental health professionals - Licensed counselors, nurses, social workers, psychologists - Cybersecurity measures - Public safety in schools - Bureau/department contracts for safety services - Local police department and county sheriff’s department - District boundaries