The norris school district violence prevention program (nsdvpp) will improve the safety and security of the students, staff, and rural communities of norris school district 160 (NSD160)

NSD160 serves 2483 students in grades k-12, with four buildings, 44 buses running over two dozen daily am and PM routes, and a district area of 213 square miles encompassing the nebraska townships of roca, hickman, firth, cortland, panama, princeton, holland, cheney and rokeby. The primary law enforcement agency responsible for NSD160 is the lancaster county sheriff (LCS); a strong supporter of the nsdvpp. LCS is responsible for law enforcement services throughout lancaster county, consisting of an area of 837 square miles and a population of 322,608. Due to the large area the LCS patrols and the fact that the district is located in a rural area of southern lancaster county, the extended time before LCS can respond to a serious incident at NSD160 is a critical concern. Nsdvpp will address several major issues as identified by our comprehensive safety audit. This audit, conducted by the school safety and security committee, (meeting on a quarterly basis) consists of a representation of key internal and external stakeholders, including administration, staff, parents, first responders and law enforcement. This audit found NSD160 lacking in several critical areas as well as relying upon outdated and non-functioning security equipment/technology. Nsdvpp will facilitate the purchase of video security on buses, visitor monitoring, visitor background checks, main entry door security and building intercom/alerting systems. LCS will gain more access to effectively monitor and investigate incidents. NSD160 has developed a multi-tiered system of supports (mtss), improving the learning environment by layering interventions that help all students improve behavior/mental health outcomes. Nsdvpp will complement the positive learning environment at NSD160 through its mtss process by identifying incidents and behaviors before incidents escalate where law enforcement must be called to respond. Thus the technology/equipment solutions sought in this grant are complementary and an instrumental component of the comprehensive school safety plan. NSD160 administrative staff has been trained in intervention strategies focused on DE-escalation of violent incidents while creating a positive learning environment. Educational service unit 6 (ESU6) collaborates with NSD160 to provide mtss coordination/facilitation services so NSD160 can train all staff in violence prevention to create and maintain effective responses to behavioral/mental health conditions of its students. NSD160 also employs 5 full-time counselors and 2 full-time psychologists to work with students who are referred, and assess their need for services. School counselors train staff on bullying prevention and counsel students who bully or are bullied. NSD160 contracts an ancillary licensed mental health professional (lmhp) through ESU6. IT will only be through this grant being funded that critical security deficits can be addressed, dramatically increasing the safety capacities of NSD160 and its nine small rural communities served to safeguard the welfare of its children. Nsdvpp will reduce response time to security incidents where seconds can make the difference between life and death.