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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 bill aims to enhance the financial support for school safety in Minnesota. It seeks to increase the "safe schools revenue" to help fund necessary safety measures in schools, including creating new financial aid, and extending this revenue to all cooperative educational units.

Main Provisions

  • Safe Schools Revenue and Aid Adjustments:

    • For fiscal year 2025, a school district's safe schools revenue is based on its existing levy. Starting in fiscal year 2026, the revenue will be calculated as the greater of $100,000 or 44 times the number of student "pupil units."
    • A safe schools levy will be set at 36 times the district's adjusted pupil units. Safe schools aid will then cover the difference between the designated safe schools revenue and the safe schools levy amount.

  • Expansion to Intermediate and Cooperative Units:

    • Intermediate school districts can add safe schools costs to their levy authority for fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
    • Beginning in fiscal year 2027, cooperative units will also be eligible for safe schools revenue based on pupil units. The commissioner of education will establish a tax rate aimed at raising over $4.3 million per fiscal year for cooperative units.

  • Planned Usage of Funds:

    • The revenue is designated for several key safety initiatives, including hiring law enforcement liaisons, programs for drug abuse prevention and gang resistance education, security upgrades, violence prevention measures, mental health support, and cybersecurity improvements.

Significant Changes

  • The proposed amendments significantly change the funding formula for safe schools revenue, allowing for increased funding and broader eligibility to cover more types of educational institutions, including cooperative education units.
  • The bill clearly dictates how this funding should be used, emphasizing a focus on safety, prevention, and early intervention strategies.

Relevant Terms

safe schools revenue, safe schools levy, cooperative units, intermediate school districts, pupil units, cybersecurity, drug abuse prevention, violence prevention, mental health support, school climate.

Bill text versions

Actions

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

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Creates cooperative safe schools revenue for fiscal year 2027 and later.",
        "Establishes a new tax rate for cooperative units safe schools revenue."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill amends section 126C.44 regarding safe schools revenue and cooperative units.",
      "modified": [
        "Changes the calculation of safe schools revenue for school districts from fiscal year 2026.",
        "Amends levy authority and cooperative units calculations for intermediate school districts."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "126C.44",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill uses the definition of 'cooperative unit' from section 123A.24, subdivision 2.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "123A.24",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 2"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill references the definition of a drug abuse prevention program as outlined in section 609.101, subdivision 3, paragraph e.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "609.101",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 3, paragraph e"
  }
]

Sponsors