Many Miss. Districts Pass on Security Grants
JACKSON, Miss. — As many as two-thirds of Mississippi’s public schools did not apply for security grants awarded by the state.
In response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the state legislature set aside $5 million for the Mississippi Community Oriented Policing Services in School grant program. The program would contribute $10,000 apiece for armed school resource officers (SROs), Associated Press reports.
Last month, the state Department of Education awarded 157 grants ($1.57 million) across 50 districts; however, four of the largest school districts in the state did not apply for the program. Some of the reasons that some districts did not apply for the grants include:
- Current officers didn’t fulfill the nine district roles that the grant program required
- The 13-page application was too much paperwork
- Districts did not want to disturb current arrangements with local law enforcement agencies
- Districts did not want officers in classroom roles
The state Education Department will seek another round of applications to award money in January. The department is also considering seeking legislative authorization to increase the grant to $20,000 to pay a larger share of an officer’s salary.
Related Articles:
- 12 Common Mistakes Campuses Make When Applying for Grants
- Campus Safety Grant Strategies: Your 1st Steps
- When Responding to Grant RFPs, Give Them What They Want
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
