Safe schools aid for school districts, charter schools, and cooperative units created; student support personnel aid repealed; and money appropriated.

A bill for an act

relating to education finance; creating a safe schools aid for school districts, charter

schools, and cooperative units; repealing student support personnel aid;

appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44,

subdivisions 1, 4, by adding subdivisions; Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter

10, article 3, section 15, subdivision 13; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2025

Supplement, section 124D.901.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Safe schools revenue for school districts.

A school
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district's
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district,

charter school, or cooperative unit's
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safe schools revenue equals
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the sum of its safe schools

aid and
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its safe schools levy.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2027 and later.

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Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, is amended by adding a subdivision to

read:

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Subd. 1a.

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Safe schools aid allowance.

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(a) The safe schools aid allowance for a school

district or charter school equals $34.32 for fiscal year 2027 and later.

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(b) The safe schools aid allowance for a cooperative unit equals $1.60 for fiscal year

2027 and later.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2027 and later.

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Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, is amended by adding a subdivision to

read:

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Subd. 1b.

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Safe schools aid for a school district.

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Safe schools aid for a school district

equals the greater of:

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(1) the safe schools allowance for the current fiscal year times the district's adjusted

pupil units for that year; or

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(2) $40,000.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2027 and later.

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Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, is amended by adding a subdivision to

read:

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Subd. 1c.

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Safe schools aid for a charter school.

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The safe schools aid for a charter

school equals the greater of:

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(1) the safe schools allowance for the current fiscal year times the charter school's

adjusted pupil units for that year; or

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(2) $20,000.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2027 and later.

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Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, is amended by adding a subdivision to

read:

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Subd. 1d.

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Safe schools aid for a cooperative unit.

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(a) Safe schools aid for an independent

or special school district that is a member of an intermediate school district or other

cooperative unit under section 123A.24, subdivision 2, that serves students equals the greater

of:

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(1) the cooperative unit safe schools allowance for the current fiscal year times the

adjusted pupil units at the district for that year; or

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(2) $40,000.

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(b) A school district that receives safe schools aid for a cooperative unit under this

subdivision must transfer the cooperative unit safe schools aid to the intermediate district

or other cooperative unit of which the district is a member.

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(c) If a school district is a member of more than one cooperative unit that serves students,

the revenue must be allocated among the cooperative units.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2027 and later.

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Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.44, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Use of safe schools revenue.

(a) Safe schools revenue must be reserved and

used for directly funding the following purposes or for reimbursing the cities and counties

who contract with the district for the following purposes:

(1) to pay the costs incurred for the salaries, benefits, and transportation costs of peace

officers and sheriffs for liaison in services in the district's schools;

(2) to pay the costs for a drug abuse prevention
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or intervention
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program as defined in

section
609.101, subdivision 3
, paragraph (e), in the elementary schools;

(3) to pay the costs for a gang resistance education training curriculum in the district's

schools;

(4) to pay the costs for security in the district's schools and on school property;

(5) to pay the costs for other crime prevention, drug abuse, student and staff safety,

voluntary opt-in suicide prevention tools, and violence prevention measures taken by the

school district;

(6) to pay costs for licensed school counselors, licensed school nurses, licensed school

social workers, licensed school psychologists, and licensed alcohol and substance use

disorder counselors to help provide early responses to problems;

(7) to pay for facility security enhancements including laminated glass, public

announcement systems, emergency communications devices, and equipment and facility

modifications related to violence prevention and facility security;

(8) to pay for costs associated with improving the school climate;

(9) to pay costs for colocating and collaborating with mental health professionals who

are not district employees or contractors;
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or
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(10) to pay for the costs of cybersecurity measures, including updating computer hardware

and software, other systems upgrades, and cybersecurity insurance costs
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.
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; or
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(11) to pay for any costs authorized under section 124D.901, subdivision 4.

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(b) For expenditures under paragraph (a), clause (1), the district must initially attempt

to contract for services to be provided by peace officers or sheriffs with the police department

of each city or the sheriff's department of the county within the district containing the school

receiving the services. If a local police department or a county sheriff's department does

not wish to provide the necessary services, the district may contract for these services with

any other police or sheriff's department located entirely or partially within the school district's

boundaries.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2026 and later.

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Sec. 7.

Laws 2025, First Special Session chapter 10, article 3, section 15, subdivision 13,

is amended to read:

Subd. 13.

Student support personnel aid.

(a) For student support personnel aid under

Minnesota Statutes, section
124D.901
:

$

44,950,000

.....

2026

$

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45,772,000

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4,588,000

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.....

2027

(b) The 2026 appropriation includes $3,655,000 for fiscal year 2025 and $41,295,000

for fiscal year 2026.

(c) The 2027 appropriation includes $4,588,000 for fiscal year 2026
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and $41,184,000

for fiscal year 2027
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.

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(d) For fiscal year 2026, in addition to the allowable uses under Minnesota Statutes,

section 124D.901, subdivision 4, a school district, charter school, or cooperative unit may

use its student support personnel aid for any of the purposes under Minnesota Statutes,

section 126C.44, subdivision 4.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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Sec. 8.
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APPROPRIATION; SAFE SCHOOLS AID.
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Subdivision 1.

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Department of Education.

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The sums indicated in this section are

appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years

designated.

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Subd. 2.

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Safe schools aid.

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(a) For safe schools aid under Minnesota Statutes, section

126C.44:

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$

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41,184,000

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.....

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2027

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(b) The 2027 appropriation includes $0 for fiscal year 2026 and $41,184,000 for fiscal

year 2027.

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Sec. 9.
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REPEALER.
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Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 124D.901,

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is repealed.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective July 1, 2026.

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APPENDIX

Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 26-06551

124D.901 STUDENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL AID.

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given:

(1) "new position" means a student support services personnel full-time or part-time position not under contract by a school district, charter school, or cooperative unit at the start of the 2022-2023 school year;

(2) "part-time position" means a student support services personnel position less than 1.0 full-time equivalent at the start of the 2022-2023 school year; and

(3) "student support services personnel" means an individual licensed to serve as a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, school nurse, or chemical dependency counselor in Minnesota.

Subd. 2.

Purpose.

The purpose of student support personnel aid is to:

(1) address shortages of student support services personnel within Minnesota schools;

(2) decrease caseloads for existing student support services personnel to ensure effective services;

(3) ensure that students receive effective student support services and integrated and comprehensive services to improve prekindergarten through grade 12 academic, physical, social, and emotional outcomes supporting career and college readiness and effective school mental health services;

(4) ensure that student support services personnel serve within the scope and practice of their training and licensure;

(5) fully integrate learning supports, instruction, assessment, data-based decision making, and family and community engagement within a comprehensive approach that facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration; and

(6) improve student health, school safety, and school climate to support academic success and career and college readiness.

Subd. 3.

Student support personnel aid.

(a) The initial student support personnel aid for an independent or special school district equals the greater of the student support personnel allowance times the adjusted pupil units at the district for the current fiscal year or $40,000. The initial student support personnel aid for a charter school equals the greater of the student support personnel allowance times the adjusted pupil units at the charter school for the current fiscal year or $20,000. Aid under this paragraph must be reserved in a fund balance that, beginning in fiscal year 2025, may not exceed the greater of the aid entitlement in the prior fiscal year or the fund balance in the prior fiscal year.

(b) The cooperative student support personnel aid for an independent or special school district that is a member of an intermediate school district or other cooperative unit that serves students equals the greater of the cooperative student support allowance times the adjusted pupil units at the district for the current fiscal year or $40,000. If a district is a member of more than one cooperative unit that serves students, the revenue must be allocated among the cooperative units. Aid under this paragraph must not exceed actual expenditures.

(c) The student support personnel allowance equals $17.08 for fiscal year 2025, $30.05 for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, and $34.32 for fiscal year 2028 and later.

(d) The cooperative student support allowance equals $0.85 for fiscal year 2025 and $1.60 for fiscal year 2026 and later.

Subd. 4.

Allowed uses.

(a) Aid under this section must be used to enhance student support services by:

(1) increasing new student support services personnel positions;

(2) increasing a current student support services personnel position that is less than 1.0 full-time equivalent to a greater number of service hours; or

(3) making permanent a student support services personnel position hired using onetime resources.

(b) Cooperative student support personnel aid must be transferred to the intermediate district or other cooperative unit of which the district is a member and used to hire new positions for student support services personnel or increase a current position that is less than 1.0 full-time equivalent to a greater number of service hours or make permanent a position hired using onetime resources at the intermediate district or cooperative unit.

(c) If a school district, charter school, or cooperative unit does not receive at least two applications and is not able to hire a new full-time equivalent position with student support personnel aid or use the aid as otherwise provided under subdivision 4a, the aid may be used for contracted services from individuals licensed to serve as a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, school nurse, or chemical dependency counselor in Minnesota.

(d) In addition to the personnel uses authorized under paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) and subdivision 4a, a district, charter school, or cooperative unit may use up to $5,000 of student support personnel aid each year for the following purposes:

(1) to cover the costs of providing training or job-embedded coaching; or

(2) to cover the costs of student support personnel travel among school sites operated by a single district, charter school, or cooperative unit, or among school sites operated by a cooperative unit's member districts or a group of charter schools.

Subd. 4a.

Additional uses for a school with declining enrollment upon board approval.

(a) If a school district, charter school, or cooperative unit has declining enrollment in fiscal year 2025 or a later fiscal year, and is unable to use student support personnel aid in accordance with subdivision 4, the district, charter school, or cooperative unit may use student support personnel aid to maintain a student support services personnel position if the position would otherwise be eliminated due to budgetary concerns.

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, a school district, charter school, or cooperative unit has declining enrollment for that fiscal year if the school district, charter school, or cooperative unit reports fewer students on its previous year's fall enrollment report than for the second previous year's fall enrollment report.

(c) Before a school board may exercise its authority under this subdivision, the school board must allow for public testimony on the proposal at a regularly scheduled school board meeting before approving a resolution approving the usage of the student support personnel aid for this purpose.

Subd. 5.

Report required.

By February 1 following any fiscal year in which student support personnel aid was received, a school district, charter school, or cooperative unit must submit a written report to the commissioner indicating how the new position affected two or more of the following measures:

(1) school climate;

(2) student health;

(3) attendance rates;

(4) academic achievement;

(5) career and college readiness; and

(6) postsecondary completion rates.