House Republican school safety package stalls; DFL proposal up next

Nathan Flansburg is the superintendent of PACT Charter School in Ramsey. He laments that schools are no longer about simply getting an education.

“Schools are now expected to provide layered systems of protection, physical security, mental health support and digital safeguards. These are not enhancements to the educational experience, they are now part of the baseline expectations families have when they send their students to us,” Flansburg told the House Education Finance Committee Tuesday.

To address school safety, Rep. Bryan Lawrence (R-Princeton) is sponsoring HF3493 that, as amended, would:

• require the Minnesota School Safety Center to create a model school safety plan that school districts across the state can adopt;
• require the Department of Education to create a list of third parties that provide anonymous reporting systems and encourage school districts to implement them;
• set the safe school revenue amount at $68 per pupil and expand availability of the aid to nonpublic schools, allowing all schools to use student support personnel aid for any safe schools purpose;
• allow districts to suspend students in grades K-3 for up to three days with the approval of the superintendent; and
• create a school safety facility program that provides grants up to $500,000 for school facility improvements.