Project Grant 15JCOPS23GG04742SSIX

PIKE COUNTY SCHOOLS (APPLICANT) SERVES 2200+ STUDENTS THROUGHOUT PIKE COUNTY, AL FROM THE CITIES OF GOSHEN, BANKS AND BRUNDIDGE AND CONSISTS OF SEVEN EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES: TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, TWO HIGH SCHOOLS, ONE PREK-8 UNIT SCHOOL, THE TROY-PIKE REGIONAL CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND THE CENTER FOR ADVANCED ACADEMICS AND ACCELERATED LEARNING. WITH STRONG LEADERSHIP, THE EFFORTS OF FACULTY AND STAFF, AND SUPPORT FROM STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY. THE MISSION OF PIKE COUNTY SCHOOLS IS TO PROVIDE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION IN ORDER TO PRODUCE GRADUATES READY FOR COLLEGE, CAREERS AND LIFE-LONG SUCCESS. IN THE EVENT OF A CRISIS, NATURAL DISASTER, OR INCLEMENT WEATHER SITUATION, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS ONE GOAL -- TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE. IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE PIKE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF BRUNDIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO PURSUE FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH THE SVPP GRANT. AFTER PROCURING FUNDING, WE WILL USE EVIDENCE-BASED SCHOOL SAFETY INTERVENTION THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING STRATEGIES TO INCREASE CAPACITY TO IMPROVE SCHOOL SAFETY WHILE MAINTAINING A POSITIVE CLIMATE. PURPOSE AND PRIMARY ACTIVITIES: WHEN DETERMINING WHICH AREA OF SECURITY WE WANTED TO IMPROVE, WE FOLLOWED THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH BY THE PARTNER ALLIANCE FOR SAFER SCHOOLS (PASS) AS RECOMMENDED BY THE FEDERAL SCHOOL SAFETY CLEARINGHOUSE. IN FOLLOWING THESE GUIDELINES WE HAVE IDENTIFIED COMMUNICATIONS AS A PRIORITY FOR IMPROVEMENT. ACCORDING TO PASS, COMMUNICATIONS IS THIRD BEHIND PEOPLE AND TRAINING WHEN PRIORITIZING PHYSICAL SECURITY PROJECTS. IN ORDER TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES, WE PLAN TO USE GRANT FUNDS TO UPGRADE OUR INTERCOM SYSTEMS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND AUXILLARY SCHOOL CAMPUSES.THE SOLUTION, BENEFITING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, CONNECTS EACHERS AND CLASSROOMS BY REPLACING EXISTING AGED INTERCOM AND BELL SYSTEMS, ENSURING THAT OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF ARE NOTIFIED EXPEDITIOUSLY IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. ADDITIONALLY, WE WILL BE REPLACING OUR AGED RADIO SYSTEM TO PROVIDE FOR EVEN GREATER COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES DISTRICTWIDE AND IMPROVE RESPONSE TIMES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DURING AN EMERGENCY EVENT. IN ADDITION, TO ADDRESS CONCERNS REGARDING SCHOOL CLIMATE, WE WILL USE A PORTION OF THE FUNDING TO PROCURE RHITHM, AN EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTION WHICH PROMOTES HEALTHIER SCHOOL CLIMATE THROUGH REGULAR ASSESSMENT AND AN ARRAY OF TOOLS DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS AND STAFF PROCESS THEIR FEELINGS. LASTLY, REMAINING FUNDS WILL BE USED TO PROCURE OPENGATE WEAPONS DETECTION UNITS FOR OUR FACILITIES THAT CURRENTLY HAVE NO WEAPONS DETECTION CAPABILITIES. BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE WEAPONS DETECTORS, PIKE COUNTY SCHOOLS AFFIRMS THAT APPROPRIATE MEASURES WILL BE TAKEN TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE, INCLUDING THE CREATION OF A DISTRICTWIDE WEAPONS DETECTION PROGRAM BASED ON EVIDENCE-BASED BEST PRACTICES.