Education

State launches $35 million school safety grant

Mark Johnson called on faculty, staff, students, parents, mental health professionals and law enforcement officers to strengthen safety practices and identify potential threats.

Posted Updated

By
Amanda Lamb
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Schools across North Carolina will be able to get help securing their buildings and hiring more security and mental health professionals, the state announced Tuesday.

State School Superintendent Mark Johnson announced a $35 million school safety grants program Tuesday morning.

While simple things can improve school safety, like requiring staff to wear ID tags and having visitors to check in when entering a school, it’s important to create awareness that a troubled student's first cry for help is often visible, on the phone, on social media, Johnson said.

School resource officers are often the first ones to spot and diffuse potential threats.

“The key is relationship, just be there when they need you,” said school resource officer Deputy Hector Araujo. “Some of them will come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I've got an issue. Can I speak to you in private?’”

The state's safe school initiative will fund hundreds of new school resource officers statewide. Johnson said the grant money will also fund mental health programs.

Currently, the state has one school psychologist for every 2,100 students. The recommendation is one for every 700 students.

Heather Lynch Boling, president of the North Carolina School Psychology Association, said the state has 75 school psychologist vacancies.

Some psychologists serve as many as seven schools, she said.

“I fear that is when we run into problem, and we don't find the right kids and get them the right help,” Boling said.

Getting help also involves increased awareness of potential threats online and in person by everyone in the school community, Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said.

“Our colleagues in law enforcement, all of them here today, we're going to be ready if something does happen,” he said. “But we want to stop it before it happens.”

Other money will go toward adding safety equipment to schools, especially to older ones.

The state is also working on an app that is expected to be up and running by the 2019-2020 school year. It will allow anyone to report a potential school threat to a 24/7 command center.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.