Charleston r 1 school district is located in mississippi county, missouri in the city of charleston, where the mississippi river and the ohio river come together

Interstate 57 runs through the city, and interstate 55 is just to the west of the city. The grant project location verification map indicates that mississippi county, missouri is a persistent poverty county. The city of charleston and surrounding areas within tracts 9501 and 9502 are both persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities. The school district has many safety and security needs and while experiencing a reduction in revenues. This continued reduction in funding requires a budget focused on personnel costs and daily operational needs. Funding through this cops school violence prevention program will go a long way to making our school system safer, improving culture and climate. Total request dollars for this proposal are $667,725, with a cops amount at $500,000 and a match of $167,725. The projects include: 1) a mass communication intercom system at HS and MS, upgrades to IP based system, speakers, and digital display around the buildings, with immediate report to police, 2) camera system replacement, IP based and new cameras, with additional cameras, integrated with police access for emergencies, and 3) integrated electronic access control system for exterior and interior doors. Partners include the charleston police department, the bootheel counseling services, and the fresh start self-improvement center. These partnerships provide children and family services, behavioral health services, and law enforcement guidance on school safety matters. Our partners work in collaboration to understand problems together and develop solutions for the betterment of our community. Given this strong working relationship, our partners continue, in their collective efforts, to provide a safe and secure learning environment. This project will depend on our key partnerships and stakeholders providing needed feedback and evaluation during installation. We will seek feedback from our staff who are starting to experience the system. We will invite our law enforcement and fire department partners to evaluate the system and determine the functionality. The goal of this proposal aligns with the school district board of education mission statement above. We are focused on fostering a safe environment for students and teachers that will be experienced every day through the advancement of these security technologies and equipment. Extensive research was conducted and how this equipment would network with our current systems. Our vulnerability assessments have been sustained over time and have provided the information necessary to develop this proposal. The guidance from our experts has been sustained through our partnerships and our problem-solving efforts. Our board of education has committed to the funds necessary to maintain and repair this equipment during the life cycle, and replacing what is necessary to maintain this equipment for our sustainable future. This funding would be extremely impactful and make a transformational difference for the safety of our students and our community.