MASMS 2020 Legislative Platform

The Minnesota Educational Facilities Management Professionals Association (also known as MASMS) is a group of over 700 individuals in the area of facilities, grounds, health and safety operations for Minnesota K-12 and higher education. We are committed to promoting excellence in the operation and care of educational facilities. To meet our mission, MASMS has taken positions on the following legislative considerations:

Long Term Facility Maintenance – Deferred Maintenance:

MASMS supports lifting the funding cap on LTFM revenue. MASMS also supports indexing LTFM revenue to a percentage of the average funding level that the districts with Alternative Facilities authority have. MASMS supports the current allowable uses for LTFM revenue and opposes efforts to expand these allowable uses, which will diminish the revenue available to address deferred maintenance needs.

Facility Improvements:

In order to address facility needs that don’t align with the allowable uses of LTFM, MASMS supports additional funding mechanisms to help schools address issues such as: vaping detection systems, security cameras and safe entrances, energy efficiency, facility additions and improvements. To assist schools with addressing these needs MASMS supports:

• Increasing Safe Schools revenue to schools and cooperative educational entities
• Maintaining the Ag2School building bond property tax credit
• Increasing Debt Service Equalization
• The creation of a Facilities Improvement levy in accordance with recommendation #4 from the MDE 2014 School Facility Task Force report.

Radon Testing:

MASMS supports the legislative proposal contained in the 2019 House E-12 bill requiring schools to test for radon according to industry standards. Costs associated with radon testing can be covered through Health & Safety revenue already available to schools. Radon testing should not be a voluntary measure by school districts.

Unclaimed Pharmaceuticals:

MASMS supports the legislative proposal contained in the 2019 House E-12 omnibus bill related to unclaimed drugs or medications. This legislation makes it clear that school personnel are not allowed to transport unclaimed drugs or medications and that law enforcement is required to assist in these matters.