ST. PAUL – State Rep. Bud Nornes, R-Fergus Falls, announces school districts throughout Minnesota are receiving a combined $30 million from the state to fund safety initiatives.
The supplemental aid must be used for expenditures as authorized under the Safe Schools Levy. This includes a wide variety of facility and programming purposes such as police liaison services, counseling, school security, gang resistance education training and other crime prevention and safety measures for students and staff.
“Parents expect a safe environment for students and faculty,” Nornes said. “This funding is another way the Legislature has responded to safety concerns where districts lacked the resources to make improvements.”
The money comes from a one-time Safe Schools Supplemental Aid appropriation in the state’s new education budget. The $30 million will be provided to school districts and charter schools on a per-pupil basis. All school districts encompassing Nornes’ District 8A will receive funding, including Fergus Falls ($100,483), Perham-Dent ($50,933) and Pelican Rapids ($30,110).
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