East knox local schools empowering our staff to keep students and staff safe: a partnership with law enforcement utilizing concealed weapons protection system (cwps) the primary goal of this…

East knox local schools empowering our staff to keep students and staff safe: a partnership with law enforcement utilizing concealed weapons protection system (cwps) the primary goal of this proposal is to prevent and reduce incidents of school violence over the next 3 years by 95% through the installation and implementation of artificial intelligence concealed weapons protection system, evidence-based prevention programs, increased security measures, and improved partnerships and communication channels between, school staff, local law enforcement, parents, students, and community members. This will be done through: purchase, training, and utilization of 3 weapons protection units for each school building, training and implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports framework pre-k through 12, utilization of student wide information system (swis) which serves as the behavior referral collection system to strengthen timely data-driven decisions by school staff. Strengthening partnerships and communication between local law enforcement and the schools continued use of evidence based practices such as updating threat assessment measures, school safety protocols, bullying prevention, family engagement, community collaboration and trauma informed care. Systemic review of the district's comprehensive safety plan this multipronged approach is needed to serve the rural schools of east knox and surrounding community of howard, ohio. In april 2022, east knox high school was able to pilot the use of the CWP unit. Community members and local law enforcement found this to be an effective and proactive solution to preventing potential threats and elevate east knoxs school safety efforts. Additionally, administrative leadershipfound IT to be a needed addition to thedistrict's comprehensive safety plan. There are a number of reasons for thehigh prevalence of potential threats and school violence in this rural area. First, thereis a lack of resources available to support students and address the root causes of violence. East knox is not immune to poverty and families have limited access to mental health services. The school has taken measures to hire two school resource officers, installation of security cameras, and implement other safety measures commonly found in suburban and urban schools. Additionally, the district faces the challenge of recruiting and retaining qualified staff, which can impact their ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment. Despite these challenges and budget constraints, east knox local schools supports school safety first and has taken steps to address school violence, such as implementing threat assessment procedures, enhancing safety measures, and partnering with community agencies. This funding will elevate their efforts and strongly enhance their school safety efforts. Rural schools are not immune to school violence, despite the common perception that they are safer than suburban and urban schools. Recent local incidents and threats that have occurred over the past month has only heightened the need.