More Than $41 Million in Grants Awarded to Schools
and Communities to Prevent Violence Among Youth
Demonstrating the Bush administration's commitment
to reducing school violence and promoting the healthy development of
all America's children, the U.S. departments of Education and Health
and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS) today announced that more than $41
million in grants will be awarded to 23 schools and communities. The
grants are designed to make schools safer, foster healthy child development
and prevent aggressive and violent behavior and drug and alcohol use
among the nation's youth.
The announcement was made by Judge Eric Andell, U.S. deputy under
secretary of education for safe and drug free schools, during a visit
to Hall Elementary School in Minneapolis. Minnesota Education Commissioner
Cheri Yecke and Minneapolis Schools Superintendent Carol Johnson joined
Andell at for the grant announcement.
"While the vast majority of the nation's schools are safe places,
some schools are vulnerable to crime, drug abuse and violence,"
said Education Secretary Rod Paige. "Crime and substance abuse
in schools compromise the learning environment and endanger teachers
and students. With these grants, schools can implement comprehensive
programs and activities that will provide safer schools and communities
ensuring that no child will be left behind."
"If American students don't feel safe, they can't learn. We
need to do all we can to give them a chance to succeed," Health
and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "These grants
will help open the doors to academic learning by shutting out the
dangers of the street."
"Community policing reduces the fear of crime as well as crime
itself, which is critical to a productive learning environment,"
said Director Carl R. Peed of the COPS Office. "Community policing
also empowers citizens -- and students -- to take an active part in
the law enforcement process. These grants will help good students
become good citizens."
The COPS Office is dedicated to advancing community policing, which
is a law enforcement philosophy based on organizational change, problem-oriented
policing and building broad, collaborative partnerships. Community
policing focuses on preventing crime as well as responding to crime,
and builds public trust in law enforcement professionals. Community
policing's focus on prevention, collaboration and building mutual
respect between law enforcement and citizens make it ideal for keeping
school environments healthy, safe and productive.
The Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SSHS) Initiative's purpose is
to provide schools and communities the benefit of enhanced school
and community-based services in an effort to strengthen healthy child
development thus reducing violent behavior and substance use.
Since 1999, the three federal agencies have partnered together to
help schools and communities design and implement comprehensive education,
mental health, social service, law enforcement and juvenile justice
services for children and youth.
The school-based community partnerships include rural, urban, suburban
and tribal projects. School districts submitted comprehensive plans
created in partnership with law enforcement officials, local mental
health authorities and often with juvenile justice officials and community-based
organizations as well. Plans are required to address six elements:
a safe school environment; alcohol and other drug and violence prevention
and early intervention programs; school and community mental health
preventive and treatment intervention services; early childhood psychosocial
and emotional development programs; education reform; and safe school
policies.
In FY 2002, more than 350 applications were received and less than
15 percent of the applications were funded. This year awardees were
selected from the FY 2002 rank-ordered list of unfunded applicants.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Following is a list of grantees, the size of the
award and local contact information.
ALASKA |
Fairbanks |
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District |
$993,955 |
|
Contact: Doug Crevensten, (907) 452-2000 |
|
ARIZONA |
Phoenix |
Washington Elementary School District |
$2,876,059 |
|
Contact: Dr. Jan Johnson, (602) 347-2603 |
|
|
COPS Funding |
$500,000 |
Tempe |
Kyrene School District |
$2,413,209 |
|
Contact: Christie Winkelmann, (480) 783-4047 |
|
CONNECTICUT |
Hartford |
Hartford Public Schools |
$2,810,634 |
|
Contact: Leah Fitchner, (860) 695-8460 |
|
GEORGIA |
Macon |
Board of Education for Bibb County |
$2,409,184 |
|
Contact: Ursula Harris, (478) 765-8663 |
|
IOWA |
Bettendorf |
Mississippi Bend Area Educational Agency |
$1,168,993 |
|
Contact: Dr. Jan Yoder, (563) 344-6315 |
|
MARYLAND |
Rockville |
Montgomery County Public Schools |
$1,978,150 |
|
Contact: Matthew J. Kamins, (301) 279-3805 |
|
MASSACHUSETTS |
Worcester |
Worchester Public Schools |
$2,577,848 |
|
Contact: Anne Quinn, (508) 799-3108 |
|
MINNESOTA |
Cloquet |
Cloquet Independent School District #94 |
$640,569 |
|
Contact: John W. Langenbrunner, (218) 879-6721 x 1035 |
|
Minneapolis |
Minneapolis Public Schools |
$2,985,239 |
|
Contact: Sara Mullett, (612) 668-0851 |
|
Stephen |
Stephen-Argyle Central Schools |
$997,729 |
|
Contact: Chris Mills, (218) 478-3315 |
|
MISSOURI |
Springfield |
School District of Springfield R-12 |
$2,751,570 |
|
Contact: Pam McGinnis, (417) 523-0162 |
|
NEVADA |
Las Vegas |
Clark County School District |
$1,988,566 |
|
Contact: Terry LiZotte, (702) 799-5345 |
|
NEW YORK |
Niagara Falls |
Niagara Falls City School District |
$1,597,254 |
|
Contact: Mark Laurie, (716) 286-4253 |
|
NORTH CAROLINA |
Wilmington |
New Hanover County Schools |
$2,842,777 |
|
Contact: Dr. Al Lerch, (910) 254-4206 |
|
NORTH DAKOTA |
Belcourt |
Belcourt School District #7 |
$944,169 |
|
Contact: Viola LaFontaine, (701) 477-6471 x 205 |
|
OHIO |
Garfield Heights |
Garfield Heights City Schools |
$1,322,063 |
|
Contact: Melissa Thompson, (216) 475-8100 |
|
Cleveland Heights |
University Heights City School District |
$2,000,000 |
|
Contact: Dr. Rebecca Bode, (216) 320-2052 |
|
OKLAHOMA |
Durant |
Durant Public Schools |
$979,293 |
|
Contact: Duane Merideth, (580) 924-1176 |
|
Heavener |
Heavener Public School District I-3 |
$822,725 |
|
Contact: Judy Bolin, (918) 653-7223 |
|
SOUTH CAROLINA |
Ballentine |
School District 5 of Lexington and Richland Counties |
$1,825,351 |
|
Contact: Dr. Lee Bollman, (803) 732-8000 |
|
TENNESSEE |
Mountain City |
Johnson County Department of Education |
$541,200 |
|
Contact: Morris Woodring, (423) 727-2640 |
|
TEXAS |
Leander |
Leander Independent School District |
$1,934,747 |
|
Contact: Jan Halstead, (512) 434-5170 |
|
TOTAL SS/HS GRANTS |
$41,401,284 |
TOTAL COPS FUNDING |
$500,000 |
GRAND TOTAL |
$41,901,284 |