Project Grant 15JCOPS23GG04558SSIX

NOTTOWAY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE LOCATED IN RURAL VIRGINIA. THE SCHOOL DIVISION HAS A LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX OF .266 WHICH MEANS THAT THE STATE PROVIDES 74% OF THE FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL DIVISION. ALL DIVISION SCHOOLS ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY PROVISION MEANING THAT ALL STUDENTS WITHIN THE SCHOOL DIVISION RECEIVED FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH. FOUR OF THE FIVE DIVISION SCHOOLS ARE TITLE I SCHOOL-WIDE SCHOOLS RECEIVING SIGNIFICANT FUNDING TO SUPPORT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. 21% OF THE INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITHIN THE SCHOOL DIVISION BOUNDARIES AS IN POVERTY BASED ON THE US CENSUS BUREAU'S QUICK FACTS. THE DIVISION CURRENTLY SEEKS GRANTS AND OUTSIDE FUNDING TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL DIVISION INITIATIVES AS FUNDING COVERS THE BASIC NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION. IN ORDER TO MAKE ENHANCEMENTS TO THE DIVISION SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES TO ENSURE OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVE THE ABILITY TO FEEL SAFE AND SECURE AT WORK, WE WOULD NEED TO SEEK ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE SAFETY MEASURES DESCRIBED IN THIS APPLICATION. OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE OLDER AND NEED MANY ENHANCEMENTS, HOWEVER, THIS FUNDING WOULD ALLOW FOR IMMEDIATE SAFETY MEASURES. THE MOST RECENT BUILDING WAS THE HIGH SCHOOL WHICH OPENED IN 1995 WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 28 YEARS OLD. THE DIVISION SEEKS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE ADDITION OF SAFETY EHANCEMENTS THAT WILL INCREASE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH ADDITIONAL FUNDING, THE SCHOOL DIVISION CAN ADD WINDOW FILM WHICH WILL NOT ELIMINATE BUT GREATLY LOWER THE TRAJECTORY OF THE AMMUNITION IMPACT IN THE SCHOOL SETTING. THE GRANT SEEKS TO PROVIDE GUN SAFES WITHIN EACH SCHOOL WHICH WILL ALLOW THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS TO STORE LONG GUNS (RIFLES) IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING FOR ACCESS DURING AN EMERGENCY BUT WILL ALSO ENSURE SAFETY BY HAVING THE WEAPONS SECURE. CURRENTLY, IF THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE BUILDING TO GET ACCESS TO THE LONG BARREL RIFLE STORED IN THE POLICE VEHICLE. LIGHTING AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX WILL GREATLY ENHACE THE SAFETY OF OUR FAMILIES ATTENDING EVENTS. CURRENTLY, THERE IS NO LIGHTING AT THE SPORTS FIELDS FACILITIES ON THE FIELD OR IN THE AREA AS FAR AS PARKING. THE FIELDS ARE LOCATED IN A BOTTOM AND ARE SURROUNDED BY A WOODED AREA WITH ONLY ONE ENTRY IN OR OUT. THIS CAN CREATE CONCERNING SITUATIONS FOR EVENING EVENTS. FINALLY THE GRANT WILL SUPPORT RADIOS FOR SCHOOL COMMUNICATION. IN AN EMERGENCY, COMMUNICATION IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR MOVEMENT OF STUDENTS AND STAFF. THIS WILL ALLOW ALL STAFF TO HERE A CLEAR AND CONSISTENT MESSAGE ON NEXT STEPS IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE. RADIOS WILL ASSIST IN PROVIDING A COMMUNICATION COMPONENT NOT OFTEN AVAILABLE DUE TO POOR WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY WITHIN THE BUILIDNG. THE GOAL FOR NOTTOWAY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS TO INCREASE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES WITHIN THE SCHOOL DIVISION BUILDING SITES WHICH WILL ENHANCE THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF. THIS WILL ALLOW TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL STAFF TO FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS IN REGARDS TO LEARNING AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES INSTEAD OF BEING WORRIED ABOUT OTHER SAFETY SITUATIONS.