Bill > HF984

This bill amends Minnesota education law to expand counseling services for nonpublic school students by including elementary-level counseling in the existing nonpublic pupil aid program. Specifically, the bill requires school districts to provide guidance and counseling services to elementary and secondary nonpublic school students upon formal request, similar to services provided to public school students. The bill establishes a funding mechanism that limits the allotment for these services to the average expenditure per public school pupil for guidance and counseling, calculated based on the number of nonpublic school pupils requesting services as of September 15 of the current school year. The changes will apply to state aid for fiscal year 2026 and later, ensuring that nonpublic school students have access to the same types of counseling support as their public school counterparts. The bill also requires the Department of Education to compute and establish average public school expenditures for these services by February 1 of the preceding school year, providing a transparent and consistent method for determining funding allocations.

Budget and Finance

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0984&ssn=0&y=2025