The federal government has just allocated $35 million in grants to enhance safety in schools across North Carolina. This funding is dedicated to purchasing safety equipment, providing training, and offering services to support students facing crises.
The grant will finance various safety equipment, including surveillance cameras, vape detectors, communication radios, and weapons detection systems. Additionally, it will cover training programs aimed at equipping school leaders with the skills to help students dealing with anxiety, trauma, or behavioral issues. The grant also extends to school-based mental health services.
“Nothing is more important than making our schools safer and more secure, and these grants will continue to play a vital role,” said State Superintendent Catherine Truitt in a press release. “This funding will help improve school security in many ways, including, updating technology and training to prevent future emergencies. I applaud state lawmakers for making this a priority and look forward to working with them to deliver more safety funding in the future.”
This new funding follows the $33 million allocated in October 2022 for the hiring and training of school resource officers (SROs) for the 2022-23 academic year.
The grant awards are contingent upon adherence to all administrative and financial guidelines, including the timely submission of financial and programmatic reports, resolving any interim audit findings, and ensuring expenses are allowable.
Full details regarding the public-school units that have received the 2023-24 School Safety Grant funding are available here.