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 2021 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 intermediate 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 $36 times the adjusted pupil units for that school year. Guarantees that a district generates a minimum amount of safe schools revenue (amount is currently blank). Provides that, for a district that is a member of a cooperative unit that enrolls students other than an intermediate district, safe schools aid equals $36 times the adjusted pupil units for that school year.

Subd. 4. Intermediate district revenue transfer. Requires that intermediate safe schools revenue be transferred to the intermediate district or other cooperative unit of which the district is a member and used only for safe schools purposes.

Subd. 5. Safe schools revenue for a charter school. Provides safe schools aid for a charter school equal to $36 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. 6. Safe schools revenue for a nonpublic school. Provides safe schools aid for a nonpublic school equal to $36 times the adjusted pupil units for that school year. Requires the commissioner to allot the nonpublic safe schools aid to a school district for transfers to the nonpublic school within the district’s service area for certain safe school uses.  

Subd. 7. 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. 8. 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.

Section 3. Appropriation. Provides a blank appropriation from the general fund to the Department of Education for fiscal year 2021 for safe schools revenue.