Section 1. Purchase of certain equipment. Clarifies that a school board may issue bonds for certain security-related equipment. Clarifies that the required debt service levy to service the bonds must not exceed the sum of the district’s operating capital revenue and safe schools revenue. Makes this section effective for revenue in fiscal year 2020 and later.

Section 2. Safe Schools Revenue

Subd. 1. Safe Schools Revenue. Defines safe schools revenue to be equal to the sum of a district’s safe schools levy and its safe schools aid.

Subd. 2. Safe Schools Levy. Provides that a district’s initial safe schools levy is equal to $36 times the adjusted pupil units for that school year. Provides that, for a district that is a member of an intermediate district, the cooperative safe schools levy equals $15 times the adjusted pupil units for that school year.

Subd. 3. Safe Schools Aid. Creates a new aid component of safe schools revenue. Provides that the safe schools aid for a school district equals the aid allowance (blank in bill as introduced) times the adjusted pupil units for that school year. Guarantees that a district generates at least $25,000 in safe schools revenue. Provides cooperative safe schools aid to districts that are members of cooperative units other than intermediate school districts.

Subd. 3a. Intermediate district and cooperative unit revenue transfer. Requires that cooperative safe schools aid and levy be transferred to the cooperative unit of which the district is a member and used only for safe schools purposes.

Subd. 4. Safe schools revenue for a charter school. Provides safe schools aid for a charter school equal to the aid allowance (blank in bill as introduced) times the adjusted pupil units for that school year. Requires that the revenue be used for safe schools purposes or for facility security improvements not funded by charter school lease aid.

Subd. 5. Uses of safe schools revenue. Adds school-linked mental health services, cybersecurity, and debt service for certain equipment to the allowed uses of safe schools revenue. Makes other technical changes.

Subd. 6. Report. Requires the commissioner of education to make a report to the legislature describing safe schools revenue expenditures by school district for each of the allowable uses.

Makes this section effective for revenue in fiscal year 2020 and later.

Section 3. Appropriation. Appropriates money from the general fund to the commissioner for safe schools aid.