South Dakota has received three grants totaling almost $2 million designed to help South Dakota school districts prevent and address threats of violence at their schools.

 

Governor Kristi Noem recently announced the S.D. Department of Public Safety (DPS) received three grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence, which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

“These grants are designed to help provide resources and training to our K-12 schools in the areas of violence prevention and threat recognition,” Gov. Noem said.

 

“While we hope to never have schools experience violence, it is important our schools, teachers and students are prepared to recognize potential threats.”

 

The three grants received by the state, include:

• One for $998,000 which will allow the state to establish a School Safety Resource Center. The center can help distribute to schools best case practices for school safety, requests for training for threat recognition, training in establishment of threat adjudication teams and requests for physical security assessments for K-12 school buildings;
• One for $500,000 and will focus on establishing Prevention and Mental Health Training Programs in conjunction with mental health professionals; and,
• One for $500,000 will focus on Technology and Threat Assessment Solutions for Safe Schools Programs.

S.D. DPS Cabinet Secretary Craig Price said the programs will be administered by the state’s Office of Homeland Security and new staff members will be hired to oversee the programs with implementation of the grants beginning soon.

 

“Our goal is to provide the tools for K-12 schools to implement preventive measures in their districts,” Sec. Price said. “These grants will help schools not only in the areas of threat recognition, but also working with schools to implement a wholesale approach to school safety.”

 

Multiple agencies and associations assisted in South Dakota obtaining these grants, including ASBSD and SASD, among other educational and law enforcement organizations.

 

“The safety of students is the most important thing to school leaders and these grants will undoubtedly help the state ensure our students are safe and secure in their schools,” ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said.

 

For updates on how these grant dollars will be distributed to schools, check the ASBSD Blog.