The Campbell County School District is looking to apply for three grants that will bring in $1.8 million to the district over three years.
The grants are the Kentucky Department of Education Stronger Connections Grant, the Bureau of Justice Stop School Violence Grant, and the Office of Community Oriented Police Services Cops Grant.
“A lot of money potentially coming to the district for very important initiatives that I think would improve our schools and also make our families feel that our students are safer in their schools,” Campbell County School Board Chair Kimber Fender said.
According to the Kentucky Department of Education, the Stronger Connections Grant is intended to support evidence-based school safety and climate plans and other strategies for creating safe, healthy, and supportive schools.
The grant will bring in $300,000 to be used over three years. The funding would cover all costs for positions hired under the grant, including salary and fringe benefits.
The Stop School Violence Grant helps to prevent violence in a K-12 school setting. It also helps in efforts to reduce violent crime in and around schools.
The grant would bring in $1 million to be used over three years. This grant would also cover all the costs for any position hired under the grant, including salary and fringe benefits.
The COPS Grant is used to improve security at schools and on school grounds through the implementation of evidence-based school safety programs and technology.
The district has utilized the COPS Grant previously, which will bring in $500,000 over three years. It requires the creation of a district-wide Student Affairs School Safety Coordinator and a 25% match that is equal to $125,000.
All costs for the position, including fringe benefits, are covered by the grant. This amount equates to expenses incurred by the district with or without the funding.
Campbell County Schools Superintendent Shelli Wilson said the district chose to apply for these grants because they meet the application criteria. She said the grants also align with their district vision pillars of school community, innovative pathways and spaces, perform on grade level in reading and math, and make progress toward becoming a graduate in a safe student-centered environment.
Wilson explained at their meeting Monday night that anytime the district applies for a grant in Campbell County that would require a match of funds or an in-kind match, they must bring that to the board for approval before they begin writing the grants, which the school board approved.
