1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to education finance; increasing safe schools revenue; creating a safe
1.3 schools aid; expanding safe schools revenue to all cooperative units; appropriating
1.4 money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, is amended to read:
1.7 126C.44 SAFE SCHOOLS REVENUE.
1.8 Subdivision 1.Safe schools revenue for school districts.For fiscal year 2025, a school
1.9district's safe schools revenue equals its safe schools levy. For fiscal year 2026 and later, a
1.10school district's safe schools revenue equals the greater of $100,000 or $44 times the pupil
1.11units for that year.
1.12 Subd. 2.School district safe schools levy.A school district's safe schools levy equals
1.13$36 times the district's adjusted pupil units for the school year.
1.14 Subd. 2a.Safe schools aid.A school district's safe schools aid equals:
1.15 (1) the difference between its safe schools revenue and its safe schools levy; times
1.16 (2) the ratio of the district's safe schools levy for that year to the permitted levy for that
1.17year.
1.18 Subd. 3.Safe schools revenue levy for intermediate school districts for fiscal years
1.192025 and 2026.For fiscal years 2025 and 2026, a school district that is a member of an
1.20intermediate school district may include in its levy authority under this section the costs
1.21associated with safe schools activities authorized under this section for intermediate school
1.22district programs. This authority must not exceed the product of $15 and the adjusted pupil
1Section 1.
REVISOR CR/DG 25-0472903/06/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 2717
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Greene, Virnig, Engen and Clardy03/24/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Education Finance 2.1units of the member districts. This authority is in addition to any other authority authorized
2.2under this section. Revenue raised under this subdivision must be transferred to the
2.3intermediate school district.
2.4 Subd. 3a.Safe schools revenue for cooperative units.(a) For purposes of this
2.5subdivision, "cooperative unit" has the meaning given under section 123A.24, subdivision
2.62.
2.7 (b) For fiscal year 2027 and later, in addition to the revenue amounts in subdivision 1,
2.8the cooperative safe schools revenue for a school district that is a member of a cooperative
2.9unit that enrolls students equals the district's adjusted pupil units for the school year times
2.10$18.
2.11 (c) For fiscal year 2027 and later, by September 30 of each year, the commissioner of
2.12education shall establish a tax rate for the cooperative units safe schools revenue that raises
2.13$4,354,000 in each fiscal year. The levy authority under this paragraph is in addition to a
2.14district's safe schools levy authority under subdivision 2.
2.15 (d) For fiscal year 2026 only, the cooperative safe schools aid for a school district that
2.16is a member of a cooperative unit that enrolls students is $3 times the member district pupil
2.17units for that year. For fiscal year 2027 and later, the cooperative safe schools aid for a
2.18school district that is a member of a cooperative unit that enrolls students equals the
2.19difference between (1) its cooperative safe schools revenue less its cooperative safe schools
2.20levy, times (2) the ratio of the actual amount levied to the permitted levy by the member
2.21school districts.
2.22 (e) Revenue raised under this subdivision must be transferred to the cooperative unit.
2.23 Subd. 4.Use of safe schools revenue.(a) Safe schools revenue must be reserved and
2.24used for directly funding the following purposes or for reimbursing the cities and counties
2.25who contract with the district for the following purposes:
2.26 (1) to pay the costs incurred for the salaries, benefits, and transportation costs of peace
2.27officers and sheriffs for liaison in services in the district's schools;
2.28 (2) to pay the costs for a drug abuse prevention program as defined in section 609.101,
2.29subdivision 3, paragraph (e), in the elementary schools;
2.30 (3) to pay the costs for a gang resistance education training curriculum in the district's
2.31schools;
2.32 (4) to pay the costs for security in the district's schools and on school property;
2Section 1.
REVISOR CR/DG 25-0472903/06/25 3.1 (5) to pay the costs for other crime prevention, drug abuse, student and staff safety,
3.2voluntary opt-in suicide prevention tools, and violence prevention measures taken by the
3.3school district;
3.4 (6) to pay costs for licensed school counselors, licensed school nurses, licensed school
3.5social workers, licensed school psychologists, and licensed alcohol and substance use
3.6disorder counselors to help provide early responses to problems;
3.7 (7) to pay for facility security enhancements including laminated glass, public
3.8announcement systems, emergency communications devices, and equipment and facility
3.9modifications related to violence prevention and facility security;
3.10 (8) to pay for costs associated with improving the school climate;
3.11 (9) to pay costs for colocating and collaborating with mental health professionals who
3.12are not district employees or contractors; or
3.13 (10) to pay for the costs of cybersecurity measures, including updating computer hardware
3.14and software, other systems upgrades, and cybersecurity insurance costs.
3.15 (b) For expenditures under paragraph (a), clause (1), the district must initially attempt
3.16to contract for services to be provided by peace officers or sheriffs with the police department
3.17of each city or the sheriff's department of the county within the district containing the school
3.18receiving the services. If a local police department or a county sheriff's department does
3.19not wish to provide the necessary services, the district may contract for these services with
3.20any other police or sheriff's department located entirely or partially within the school district's
3.21boundaries.
3.22 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for fiscal year 2026 and later.
3.23 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; SAFE SCHOOLS AID.
3.24 Subdivision 1.Department of Education.The sum indicated in this section is
3.25appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year
3.26designated.
3.27 Subd. 2.Safe schools aid.For safe schools aid under Minnesota Statutes, section
3.28126C.44:
2027............3.29 $
3Sec. 2.
REVISOR CR/DG 25-0472903/06/25