MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Brad Schimel today announced 60 schools and school districts that will receive the remaining $2,559,666 from the first round of the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) School Safety Grant program. The grant application period for the second round of grant funding is now open, and 688 schools and school districts report that they intend to apply by the end of the month.
“Round two school safety grant funding is now open, and we are ready to receive applications from 688 private and public schools and school districts that plan to apply,” said Attorney General Schimel. “Round two will be a great opportunity for schools across the state to participate in advanced mental health training and create local intervention teams in order to stop violence before it happens.”
A list of schools and school districts that were awarded school safety grants on August 16, 2018, is at the bottom of this press release. In total, 723 schools and school districts completed applications and received awards totaling $48,483,015 in the now completed first round. Thirteen schools withdrew from the first-round grant process for a variety of reasons, including some schools that closed or moved out of state.
Over $48 million remains available for a second round of school safety grant funding, with approximately $3 million reserved for school safety projects that will be announced at a later date. 688 schools and school districts intend to apply for the second round of grant funding. Applications for the second round opened on August 15 and are due August 30.
Schools and school districts that applied for the first round of grants are eligible for the second round of grants, and will apply for the second round through a streamlined grant application process. Schools and school districts that did not apply for the first round of grants are eligible for the second round of grants, but will need to satisfy all prerequisites of the first round and second round of grant funding.
Under the second round of grant funding, grant funding will be awarded on a per-student basis, according to student enrollment as reported to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Each school or school district that applies will receive an estimated $55.21 per child, but no awardee will receive less than $10,000 nor receive more than $2.5 million, in order to ensure all applicants receive sufficient funding to make meaningful physical security improvements. Interested schools can find more information on the OSS website.
The second round of grant funding, utilizing approximately $48 million, will build upon the baseline mental health and physical security improvements made in the first round of grant funding by offering advanced training for teachers on mental health issues. Funds are also available to create local teams of educators, counselors, and law enforcement that will assess threats and identify students in need of support. Additional physical security upgrades will also be funded. DOJ will announce plans for an estimated $3 million set aside fund in the future, which represents the balance of the $100 million appropriation.
To qualify for the second-round funds, applicants must agree to send 10 percent of full-time teachers and counselors to DOJ-approved 12-hour Adolescent Mental Health training by August 31, 2020, and schools may use grant funds to pay expenses incurred (tuition, travel, lodging, meals, substitute teacher pay, etc.). Schools applying must also establish a School Safety Intervention Team, based on a model set by the U.S. Secret Service, which will engage in behavior monitoring, threat assessments, and intervention.
In March 2018, the Wisconsin State Legislature and Governor Scott Walker passed and signed 2017 Wisconsin 143 into law, establishing the OSS and providing $100 million for school safety. 723 schools and school districts, 97% of public schools and approximately 40% of private schools statewide, applied for the first round of funds, and all schools that completed the application process have now received an award. Applicants will receive information about their upcoming second-round award in the next several weeks.
For more information on DOJ’s Office of School Safety, please visit: https://www.doj.state.wi.us/office-school-safety/office-school-safety.
A list of all 723 schools and school districts that have requested grant funds and have been awarded first round of grant funding is available on the DOJ website.
List of schools awarded grants on August 16, 2018:
Abundant Life Christian School (Madison), $16,560;
All Saints Catholic School (Antigo), $19,214;
Aquinas Academy (Menomonee Falls), $15,504;
Auburndale School District, $41,482;
Bayfield School District, $91,250;
Bethany Evangelical Lutheran School (Manitowoc), $15,050;
Blessed Sacrament Elementary School (Madison), $11,550;
Clara Mohammed School (Milwaukee), $19,608;
Destiny High School (Milwaukee), $20,000;
Eastbrook Academy (Milwaukee), $19,973;
EverGreen Academy (Racine), $16,519;
Faith Lutheran School (Fond du Lac), $20,635;
Garden Homes Lutheran School (Milwaukee), $5,760;
Holy Angels School (West Bend), $9,102;
Hylandale Church School (Rockland), $19,510;
Indian Community School of Milwaukee, $20,000;
Living Word Lutheran High School (Jackson), $20,000;
Luxemburg-Casco School District, $56,267;
Milwaukee Collegiate Academy, $19,968;
Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School (Rhinelander), $20,000;
New Berlin School District, $120,000;
Newman Catholic Schools (Wausau), $160,650;
Nicolet UHS School District (Glendale), $19,340;
Oakfield School District, $60,000;
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, $19,995;
Oostburg Christian School, $7,170;
Oregon School District, $145,294;
Our Fathers Lutheran School (Greenfield), $19,762;
Our Lady of Assumption Grade School (Beloit), $19,977;
Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran School (Madison), $20,000;
Pilgrim Lutheran School (Green Bay), $21,170;
Prairie du Chien Area School District, $92,733;
Racine Unified School District, $635,215;
Saint Dominic Catholic School (Brookfield), $19,830;
Saint Frances Cabrini School (West Bend), $18,732;
Saint Francis Xavier Catholic School (Merrill), $9,417;
Saint John the Baptist Catholic School (Edgar), $7,317;
Saint John XXIII Catholic School (Port Washington), $20,225;
Saint Johns Lutheran School (Newburg), $20,000;
Saint John-Sacred Heart School (Sherwood), $21,083;
Saint Joseph Catholic School (Boyd), $21,300;
Saint Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran School (Watertown), $17,450;
Saint Pauls Evangelical Lutheran School (Oconomowoc), $20,720;
Saint Pauls Lutheran School (Janesville), $19,874;
Saint Pauls Lutheran School (Menomonie), $15,642;
Sevastopol School District, $53,338;
Siena Catholic Schools of Racine, $66,948;
St. James Grade School (Madison), $19,611;
St. Mary School (Janesville), $15,771;
St. Paul Lutheran School (Manawa), $15,458;
TransCenter for Youth, Inc (Milwaukee), $108,689;
Waterford UHS School District, $20,600;
Waukesha Catholic School System Inc., $19,989;
West Salem School District, $47,585;
Weston School District, $59,697;
Wilmot UHS School District, $20,583;
Wisconsin Institute for Torah Study (Milwaukee), $21,800;
Wisconsin Valley Lutheran High School (Mosinee), $20,048;
Wolf River Lutheran High (Shawano), $18,422;
Zion Lutheran Grade School (Menomonee Falls), $20,279.
