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Utilize School Safety Grants to Keep Your Campus Safe

School Safety Funding to Support Student Wellness & Success
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School safety grants are critical for maximizing your ability to support student safety and wellness initiatives on your campus. These grants provide vital financial resources to enhance security measures, such as installing emergency management systems, hiring school safety officers, and implementing critical incident response training. Additionally, they enable schools to invest in programs that promote student well-being, such as mental health services, anti-bullying initiatives, and social-emotional learning curriculum. By prioritizing efforts to secure these grants, schools can create a safe and nurturing environment that fosters not only physical security but also the emotional and psychological well-being of students, ultimately contributing to their overall success and development.

School Safety Grants: Everything You Need to Know

Formula Funding

Formula funding is a non-competitive funding source commonly passed through federal and/or state governments to local governments/agencies. ESSER and Title funding are common examples of formula funding awarded to local educational agencies. Although these funds are set aside for specific uses, agencies must apply for the funding.

ESSER

ESSER Quick Info

Deadlines:

  • Check with state agency

Eligibility:

  • State Educational Agencies
  • Local Educational Agencies

Amount:

  • Varies between states

ESSER Funding is federally allocated with a broad scope to address diverse needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of responding to students’ social, emotional, mental health and/or academic needs.

ESSER funds can be used to improve schools to:

  • Provide principals and other school leaders with the resources needed to address their schools’ needs
  • Implement activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, students with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness and children and youth in foster care
  • Develop and implement procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies (LEAs)
  • Purchase educational technology that aids in regular and substantive educational interaction between students and their classroom instructors, including low-income students and students with disabilities, which may include assistive technology or adaptive equipment
  • Provide mental health services and support, including through the implementation of evidence-based full-service community schools (ESSER II)
  • Complete school facility repairs and improvements to enable operation of schools to reduce risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards, and to support student health needs
  • Develop strategies and implement public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the CDC for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators and other staff
ESSER Funding Guide

Learn More About Using ESSER Funding to Support the Emotional Health and Physical Safety of Your Schools

Download the Guide

Title Funding (1A, 4A, 2)

1A

1A Quick Info

Eligibility:

  • State Educational Agencies
  • Local Educational Agencies

Deadlines:

  • Check with state agency

Amount:

  • Varies between states

Title I, Part A (Title I-A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides financial assistance to local educational agencies and schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to ensure all children meet state academic standards.

  1. Basic Grants
    • Provide funds to LEAs in which the number of children counted in the formula is at least 10 and exceeds 2 percent of an LEA’s school-age population
  2. Concentration Grants
    • Must be eligible for Basic Grants
    • The number of formula children exceeds 6,500 or 15 percent of an LEA’s total school-age population
  3. Targeted Grants
    • Use the same data as Basic and Concentration Grants
    • LEAs with higher numbers or higher percentages of children receive more funds
    • The number of children is at least 10 and at least 5 percent of the LEA’s school-age population
  4. Education Finance Incentive Grants (EFIG)
    • Distributes funds to states based on factors that measure:
      1. A state’s effort to provide financial support for education compared to its relative wealth as measured by its per capita income
      2. The degree to which education expenditures among LEAs within the state are equalized

4A

4A Quick Info

Eligibility:

  • State Educational Agencies
  • Local Educational Agencies (pass-through)

Deadlines:

  • Check with state agency

Amount:

  • Varies between states

Title IV, Part A (Title IV-A) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of states, local education agencies (LEAs), schools and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, improve school conditions and improve the use of technology to improve academic achievement and digital literacy.

Title IV-A funding for LEAs is proportionate to prior-year Title I-A allocations.

  • Minimum of $10,000/approved LEA
  • If requesting over $30,000, LEAs must conduct a needs assessment and justify spending requests.
    • At least 20% for Well-Rounded Education
    • At least 20% for Safe and Health Schools
    • A portion for Effective Use of Technology
      • No more than 15% of EUT is to be spent on technology infrastructure

Title 2A

2A Quick Info

Eligibility:

  • State Educational Agencies
  • Local Educational Agencies (pass-through)

Deadlines:

  • Check with state agency

Amount:

  • Varies between states

Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is intended to improve students’ academic achievement consistent with state academic standards; improve the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals and other school leaders; increase the number of teachers, principals and other school leaders who improve student academic achievement; and provide low-income and minority students access to effective teachers, principals and other school leaders.

State-level activities

  • Reforming teacher and principal certification programs
  • Providing support for new teachers
  • Providing professional development for teachers and principles

Local-level activities:

  • Recruiting and retaining effective teachers and principles
  • Providing professional development for teachers and principals
  • Reducing class size

Title II, Part A provides agencies the flexibility to use these funds creatively to address challenges to teacher and principal quality, whether they concern the preparation and qualifications of new teachers and school leaders, recruitment and hiring, induction, professional development, retention or the need for more capable principals and other school leaders to serve as effective school leaders.

IDEA

IDEA Quick Info

Eligibility:

  • State Educational Agencies
  • Local Educational Agencies (pass-through)

Deadlines:

  • Check with state agency

Amount:

IDEA funds are appropriated by Congress and are intended to support early intervention and special education services for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families. These funds are provided to state educational agencies and lead agencies to help recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and to safely reopen schools and sustain safe operations.

GEER

GEER Quick Info

Eligibility:

  • Local Educational Agencies
  • Institutions of Higher Education
  • Education-Related Entities
  • A governor can choose to fund only LEAs, only IHEs, only education-related entities or any combination of eligible entities.

Deadlines:

  • Check with governor’s office

Amount:

  • Varies between states

GEER funding is discretionary formula funding awarded by the governor of each state. These funds are reserved for the local educational agencies which were most significantly impacted by COVID-19. GEER funding may vary state-to-state, as the governor has discretion in determining the agencies eligible for funding.

Unless otherwise restricted by the governor at the time they award GEER Fund subgrants or contracts, the LEA (including a public charter school LEA) has considerable flexibility in determining how best to use GEER funds to prevent, prepare for or respond to COVID-19. The LEA may use these funds for, among other things, any authorized activities under the ESEA.

States, LEAs and IHEs are encouraged to invest GEER funds in technology infrastructure and professional development to improve capacity to provide high quality, accessible, distance education or remote learning. This may include:

  • Purchasing hardware and software applications for students and teachers
  • Providing access to high-quality digital learning content, apps and tools that can deliver engaging and relevant learning experiences accessible to all students

Competitive Grants

Competitive grants provide an opportunity for educational institutions to secure funding to enhance and implement comprehensive safety measures, ensuring a secure environment for students and staff. These grants foster a competitive spirit among schools, encouraging innovative strategies and collaborations to address emerging safety concerns and promote the well-being of the school community.

Stronger Connections

Stronger Connections Quick Info

Eligibility:

  • Local Educational Agencies (pass-through)

Deadlines:

  • Check with state agency

Amount:

  • Varies between states

Stronger Connections grant funds are distributed under Title IV-A to high-need LEAs to support safe and healthy students. These funds prioritize a certain scope of LEA activities, dependent upon the state educational agency’s (SEA) chosen priorities.

The definition of a high-need LEA is defined by the SEA. Examples include an LEA with a high poverty rate and:

  • High student-to-mental health-professional ratio in need of additional mental health staff
  • High rates of chronic absenteeism, exclusionary discipline, referrals to the juvenile justice system, students experiencing homelessness or students in foster care
  • Bullying/harassment, community and school violence or substance use
  • Experienced a natural or man-made disaster or traumatic event

Funds may be used to ensure school preparedness by creating and maintaining emergency operation procedures and emergency exercises. LEAs may also implement school-based safety and violence prevention programs, including:

  • Social and emotional development and academic growth
  • Professional development and training for school staff
  • Improving instructional practices for developing relationship-building skills and improving safety
  • Violence prevention and intervention activities and programs that are culturally and linguistically inclusive

SVPP Grant

SVPP Grant Quick Info

Eligibility:

States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and their public agencies, including

  • School districts, including public charter schools and school districts with a single school
  • School boards
  • Law enforcement agencies.

Deadlines:

  • April-May 2024 (approximate)

Amount:

  • $500,000

Anticipated Number of Awards:

  • 235

Period of Performance Duration:

  • 36 months

Period of Performance Start Date:

  • 10/1/2024

The goal of the School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) is to improve security at schools and on school grounds through the implementation of evidence-based school safety programs and technology. SVPP awards fund projects which include:

  • Funding of civilian personnel to serve as coordinators with local law enforcement and training for local law enforcement officers
  • Purchase and installation of certain allowable equipment and technology
  • Other measures to significantly improve school security

Anticipated outcomes of SVPP awards include:

  • Increased interaction and improved communications between law enforcement and school officials
  • Reduced notification times to law enforcement
  • Improved response time to threats and events
  • Accurate identification of danger and follow-up
  • Increased knowledge of and use of community policing principles
  • Increased school safety and sustainability planning efforts

Recipients must conduct comprehensive school safety assessments during the grant award period for all schools involved in the project. These assessments must inform the measures necessary to improve school safety and ensure a safe and positive learning environment for students, free of discrimination and protective of student privacy.

Allowable Costs:

Equipment:

Equipment is defined as tangible, nonexpendable personal property, including exempt property, having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit.

Examples include:

  • Entry Control Equipment
  • Door locking mechanisms/access control doors
  • Peepholes for classroom doors
  • School site alarm and protection systems
  • Lighting (on school grounds)

Technology

  • Communication technology
  • Emergency call boxes
  • Intercom or public address (PA) system
  • Panic and immediate alarm notification systems
  • Two-way radios
  • Emergency alerts
  • Identification technology
  • Laptops (directly related to SVPP)
  • Maps of schools/bus routes
  • Printers (directly related to SVPP)
  • Security cameras and/or systems

Training

Consultants/Contracts/Subawards

STOP Grant

STOP Grant Quick Info

Deadlines:

  • April-May 2024 (approximate)

Amount:

  • Category 1: $2,000,000 each
  • Category 2: $1,000,000 each

Anticipated Number of Awards:

  • 85

Period of Performance Duration:

  • 36 months

Period of Performance Start Date:

  • 10/1/2024

Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Grant Program is designed to improve K–12 school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond to and prevent acts of violence and ensure a positive school climate.

This funding seeks to increase school safety by implementing training to improve school climate. This includes school-based behavioral threat assessments and/or intervention teams to identify school violence risks among students, technological solutions shown to increase school safety such as anonymous reporting technology and other school safety strategies that assist in preventing violence.

STOP Grant funds can be used to:

  • Develop and operate technology solutions
  • Develop and implement multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment (BTA) and/or intervention teams
  • Train school personnel and educate students on preventing school violence, including strategies to improve school climate
  • Provide or create specialized training policies for law enforcement who work in schools and/or with school-age populations, such as school resource officers (SROs) and probation officers
  • Hiring school support personnel such as climate specialists, school psychologists, school social workers, school-based violence interrupters and others directly supporting the prevention of school violence

STOP funds may not be used to address violence on the campus of an institution of higher education.

Eligibility:

Units of local governments:

  • Category 1:
    • State governments
    • Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
  • Category 2:
    • City or township governments
    • County governments
    • Units of local governments
    • Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
    • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
    • Private institutions of higher education
    • Independent school districts
    • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Youth Violence Prevention Program

Youth Violence Prevention Program Quick Info

Deadlines:

  • May-June 2024 (approximate)

Amount:

  • $250,000

Anticipated Number of Awards:

  • 4

Period of Performance Duration:

  • 36 months

Period of Performance Start Date:

  • 10/1/2024

The Youth Violence Prevention Program (YVPP) provides funding for applicants to develop and/or enhance strategies to prevent youth violence, including youth gang involvement and youth gang/group violence.

There are risk factors and protective factors for youth related to juvenile delinquency, violence and gang involvement. These factors span across five life domains: (1) family, (2) peer group, (3) school, (4) individual characteristics and (5) community conditions.

There are protective factors such as parental involvement and monitoring, family and peer support and coping skills that can reduce the likelihood of youth engaging in acts of violence. Early intervention prevents the onset of disruptive behavior and supports the development of a youth’s assets and resilience.

YVPP funds can be used to:

  • Implement in-home or community-based services that address the risk factors and support protective factors related to violence prevention and decreasing the number of community-based and/or school-based violence incidents
  • Develop new, or enhance existing, direct service programs for youth with multiple risk factors for violence, including youth gang/group involvement and youth gang/group violence
  • Identify a specific system for how at-risk youth will be identified and referred for services
  • Use existing and/or create new collaborations with community-based organizations, service providers and law enforcement

Eligibility:

Units of local governments:

  • City or township governments
  • County governments
  • For-profit organizations other than small businesses
  • Independent school districts
  • Native American Tribal governments (Federally recognized)
  • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

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Navigate360 - maximizing available school safety grants
Building a comprehensive approach to student safety and wellness is a complex endeavor, and maximizing available school safety grants can be overwhelming. We are here to help. We can provide end-to-end solutions that support your school’s safety, from prevention all the way through response and recovery.

Speak with one of our safety specialists today to learn how you can maximize these funding opportunities to build a holistic ecosystem of whole-child safety this year.

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