ST. PAUL – The Minnesota House on Thursday approved a bipartisan package of education-related measures, a number of which focused on student safety.
Rep. Jeff Howe, R-Rockville, said the legislation (H.F. 4328) provides crucial resources and flexibility for schools to address their particular student safety and mental health needs.
“Local citizens and school officials know what serves their children best and the bill we passed allows them to customize solutions to fit their particular situation,” Howe said. “The provisions we included all are ones that can be achieved in the relative short term to protect our children.”
Highlights of the bill include:
- School resource officers, student support personnel, and other school security programs funded through increased Safe Schools revenue, including a floor level of funding for small schools
- School building security upgrades, and expanded use of Long-Term Facility Maintenance revenue for security projects, including emergency communications systems
- School-linked mental health programming to ensure better outcomes for all kids
- Physical security audit grants to provide state assistance to review facility security and crisis management policies
- Suicide prevention training for teachers to help educators learn how to engage and assist students experiencing mental distress
- School-based threat assessment teams established to assess, intervene, and report threats facing students, teachers, and staff
The package also seeks to strengthen and clarifies the law surrounding teacher misconduct such as:
- Clarifying that teachers are not allowed to engage in sexual relationships with students—even if that student is 18
- Prohibiting the issuance or renewal of a teaching/administrative licenses and bus driver endorsements for those convicted of certain felonies or gross misdemeanors involving a minor
- Clarifying mandatory reporters
- Requiring periodic background checks of teachers
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