SF 3706

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education finance; modifying the use of the safe schools levy;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, section 126C.44.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, 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 may be levied
for all costs under this section shall be equal to $30 multiplied by the district's adjusted
marginal cost pupil units for the school year. 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; deleted text begin or deleted text end (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 new text begin ; or (7)
to pay the costs related to student transportation safety new text end . For expenditures under 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.

(b) 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) for intermediate school district programs. This authority
must not exceed $10 times the adjusted marginal cost 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.

(c) If a school district spends safe schools levy proceeds under paragraph (a), clause
(6), the district must annually certify that its total spending on services provided by the
employees listed in paragraph (a), clause (6), is not less than the sum of its expenditures
for these purposes, excluding amounts spent under this section, in the previous year plus
the amount spent under this section.