SF 371

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 01/28/2025 12:56 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing for reporting of student fights; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2024, section 121A.53.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 121A.53, is amended to read:

121A.53 REPORT TO COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.

Subdivision 1.

Exclusions and expulsions; student withdrawals; physical
assaults.

Consistent with subdivision 2, the school board must report through the department
electronic reporting system each exclusion or expulsion, new text begin each fight involving pupils that is
witnessed by a district employee, new text end each physical assault of a district employee by a pupil,
and each pupil withdrawal agreement within 30 days of the effective date of the dismissal
action, pupil withdrawal, or assault, to the commissioner of education. This report must
include a statement of nonexclusionary disciplinary practices, or other sanction, intervention,
or resolution in response to the assault given the pupil and the reason for, the effective date,
and the duration of the exclusion or expulsion or other sanction, intervention, or resolution.
The report must also include the pupil's age, grade, gender, race, and special education
status.

Subd. 2.

Report.

(a) The school board must include state student identification numbers
of affected pupils on all dismissal and other disciplinary reports required by the department.
The department must report annually to the commissioner summary data on the number of
dismissals new text begin , fights involving pupils witnessed by a district employee, new text end and physical assaults
of district employees by a student by age, grade, gender, race, and special education status
of the affected pupils. All dismissal and other disciplinary reports must be submitted through
the department electronic reporting system.

(b) The commissioner must aggregate the district data reported under this section and
include the aggregated data, including aggregated data on physical assaults of a district
employee by a student, in the annual school performance reports under section 120B.36.

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Fighting witnessed by a district employee. new text end

new text begin A school district employee who
witnesses fighting between pupils must report the incident to the building administrator
responsible for discipline and must file a police report. The school board must report the
incident to the department according to this section and verify that a police report was filed
by the district employee who witnessed the fight.
new text end