Center for Safer Schools awards $35 million in school safety grants

Two hundred and thirty North Carolina school districts and charter schools will benefit from $35 million in safety grants announced this week by the Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools (CFSS). Among the recipients is Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools.

According to information from the Department of Public Instruction, WS/FCS will be on the receiving end of $500,000.

The funding will be used for safety equipment, training and services for students in crisis. Safety equipment covered by this grant includes items such as cameras, vape detectors, radios and weapons-detection systems. Training can include professional development for school leaders to assist students who are experiencing anxiety, trauma and/or conduct problems. Services made available through this grant can include school-based mental health services.

CFSS Executive Director Karen W. Fairley said each application was thoroughly reviewed.

“It is part of the center’s mandate and mission to give public-school units the tools they need to help keep their schools safer — that includes grant funding,” she said. “We thank the General Assembly for its generous appropriation that enables us to support North Carolina public schools.”

State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said the need for school safety funding is crucial in ensuring students’ well-being throughout their educational journey.

“Nothing is more important than making our schools safer and more secure, and these grants will continue to play a vital role,” Truitt said. “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.”

Funding for the hiring and training of school resource officers (SROs) was a continuation of the $33 million in SRO funding awarded in October 2022 for the 2022-23 school year.

Awards are subject to all administrative and financial requirements, including timely submission of all financial and programmatic reports; resolution of all interim audit findings; and adherence to allowable expenses.

About the School Safety Grant

In 2018, the General Assembly worked with the Department of Public Instruction to launch a new School Safety Grant Program to improve safety in public school units by providing grants for school resource officers, services for students in crisis, training to increase school safety, safety equipment in schools and additional school mental health support personnel.

Since then, more than $150 million has been awarded to public-school units across North Carolina.

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