SF5000
Onetime school safety aid and grant program establishment
Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026)
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- Establishes a onetime school safety aid and grant program funded from the general fund for fiscal year 2027. The aim is to provide financial support to school districts, charter schools, intermediate districts, cooperative units, tribal contract schools, and nonpublic schools to enhance school safety and address student attendance and absenteeism through targeted supports and interventions.
Main provisions and how the program works
- School safety aid for fiscal year 2027:
- School districts: aid equals a multiplier times the district’s adjusted pupil units.
- Charter schools: aid equals a multiplier times the charter school’s adjusted pupil units.
- Intermediate districts: aid equals a multiplier times the sum of adjusted pupil units of their member districts.
- Cooperative units (for districts that are not members of an intermediate district): aid equals a multiplier times the district’s adjusted pupil units; the district must designate one cooperative unit to receive the aid, as determined by the commissioner; aid is paid to the designated cooperative unit.
- Tribal contract schools: aid equals a multiplier times the average daily membership served.
- Nonpublic schools grants:
- Nonpublic schools may apply for school safety grants; grants are prioritized to those with lower fiscal capacity based on criteria developed by the commissioner.
- Eligible uses of funds:
- Funds may be used for activities described in the statute related to addressing student attendance and absenteeism and for supports/interventions addressing the risk factors for high absenteeism.
- Specific activities include personalized outreach and home visits, tutoring or other supports, connecting students with resources, increasing students’ sense of belonging, regular meetings with students, data analysis to evaluate district strategies, and technology to help communicate with students and families.
- Statutory references for uses:
- Activities align with Minnesota Statutes section 126C.44 subdivision 4 and related provisions.
Administration and grant administration
- The Commissioner of Education administers the school safety aid and the nonpublic school grants.
- A portion of the appropriation may be used for grant administration, up to a specified percent (the exact percent is not specified in the excerpt).
Appropriations and onetime nature
- Sec. 2 specifies appropriations for fiscal year 2027:
- One-time appropriation from the general fund for school safety aid (section 1).
- One-time appropriation from the general fund for school safety grants to nonpublic schools (section 1).
- The onetime nature means this funding is not a continuing annual appropriation.
- The proposal references flexible grant administration authorization under Minnesota law (with a cap on administration, exact percent unspecified in the excerpt).
Significant changes from existing law
- Creates a new, onetime school safety aid and grant program specifically for fiscal year 2027.
- Expands eligibility beyond traditional school districts to charter schools, intermediate districts, cooperative units, tribal contract schools, and nonpublic schools.
- Introduces a new funding formula structure tied to adjusted pupil units or average daily membership, depending on the entity.
- Adds targeted strategies to address absenteeism and improve student belonging and engagement, including home visits, tutoring, and personalized outreach.
- Enables the commissioner to designate a single cooperative unit to receive district cooperative unit aid.
- Establishes prioritization criteria for nonpublic school grants based on fiscal capacity.
Key definitions and terms used (for clarity)
- Adjusted pupil units
- Average daily membership (ADM)
- Cooperative unit
- Intermediate district
- Tribal contract school
- Nonpublic school
- General fund
- Onetime appropriation
- School safety aid
- School safety grants
- Absenteeism
- Personalized outreach
- Home visits
- Tutoring
- Data analysis
- Grant administration
Relevant Terms - school safety aid - grant program - adjusted pupil units - charter school - intermediate district - cooperative unit - tribal contract school - average daily membership - nonpublic school - general fund - onetime appropriation - absenteeism - personalized outreach - home visits - tutoring - data analysis - technology - commissioner of education - Minnesota Statutes 126C.44, 123A.24, 124D.83, 16B.98
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Upcoming committee meetings
- Rules and Administration on: April 20, 2026 00:00
Past committee meetings
- Education Finance on: April 08, 2026 08:30
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 07, 2026 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| April 07, 2026 | Senate | Action | Referred to | Education Finance | |
| April 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Comm report: To pass and re-referred to | Finance | |
| April 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 6, referred to | Rules and Administration | |
| April 09, 2026 | Senate | Action | Author added |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill defines a cooperative unit's meaning by Minnesota Statutes section 123A.24, subdivision 2.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "123A.24",
"subdivision": "2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Provides aid eligibility for American Indian Tribal contract schools under Minnesota Statutes 124D.83.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "124D.83",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Nonpublic schools' meaning references Minnesota Statutes 123B.41, subdivision 9.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "123B.41",
"subdivision": "9"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Eligible uses of school safety aid reference Minnesota Statutes 126C.44, subdivision 4.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "126C.44",
"subdivision": "4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Alternate eligible uses reference Minnesota Statutes 126C.44, subdivision 2.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "126C.44",
"subdivision": "2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Notwithstanding provision referencing Minnesota Statutes 16B.98, subdivision 14 for grant administration.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "16B.98",
"subdivision": "14"
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee