SF 900

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/07/2019 02:15pm

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; increasing the safe schools levy; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2018, section 126C.44.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 126C.44, is amended to read:

126C.44 SAFE SCHOOLS LEVY.

(a) Each district may make a levy on all taxable property located within the district for
the purposes specified in this section. The maximum amount which that may be levied for
all costs under this section shall be equal to $36 equals $72 multiplied by the district's
adjusted pupil units for the school year.

(b) The proceeds of the levy 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 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 chemical dependency
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; or

(9) to pay costs for colocating and collaborating with mental health professionals who
are not district employees or contractors.

(b) (c) For expenditures under paragraph (a) (b), 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.

(c) (d) A school district that is a member of an intermediate school district may include
in its authority under this section the costs associated with safe schools activities authorized
under paragraph (a) (b) for intermediate school district programs. This authority must not
exceed the product of:

(1) $15 times;

(2) the ratio of the formula allowance in paragraph (a) for the current year to the formula
allowance in paragraph (a) for taxes payable in 2019; and

(3) the adjusted pupil units of the member districts.

This authority is in addition to any other authority authorized under this section. Revenue
raised under this paragraph must be transferred to the intermediate school district.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective for taxes payable in fiscal year 2020 and
later.