On Thursday April 26, the Minnesota Senate passed a supplemental budget bill that included Senator Carla Nelson’s Safe and Secure Schools Act as its centerpiece.

“I worked hard this session to collaborate with colleagues, educators, families, and stakeholders to craft legislation that prioritizes school and student safety,” said Senator Nelson, Chairwoman of the Senate E-12 Education Finance Committee. “Making sure children across Minnesota are safe when they go to school each day is essential. Nothing could be more important, and that’s why it’s the centerpiece of this bill.”

The legislation invests in multiple areas of school safety, including $19.8 million in Safe Schools Aid for statewide school security upgrades, such as bulletproof glass, single point entry, security cameras, and other safety measures. In addition to funding school counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and security officers, the bill provides suicide prevention training for our teachers. Additionally, it improves students’ mental health access with $5 million for school-linked telemedicine, pays for professional school building audits to identify areas for security improvements, and strengthens school employee background checks.

“Importantly, this legislation preserves local control in making these security choices,” added Senator Nelson. “This is not a one-size-fits-all mandate from St. Paul. Our local school districts will be able to choose how best to use these funds to keep our children safe.”