The tuscaloosa county board of education and the tuscaloosa county school system (tcss) is committed to meeting the educational needs of all students in a safe learning environment

The systems most important job is to follow evidence based best practices to ensure all students are treated with respect and dignity in a learning environment that thrives on collaborative and cooperative relations so they may learn through a rigorous relevant curriculum. This goal cannot be reached without first providing a safe and comfortable classroom and campus. The proposed project will work in conjunction with existing emergency operations plans and threat assessment processes and procedures to fill in exposed gaps with pertinent equipment and technology needed to strengthen student, staff and visitor safety while on campus. The proposed project, enhancing safety measures at the tuscaloosa county school system will serve 35 schools in tuscaloosa county. Tcss works closely with alabama DOE and tuscaloosa county sheriffs office to create safety plans and procedures to ensure schools remain one of the safest places for our k-12 children. During an internal audit, IT was discovered that most schools in the tuscaloosa county school system have various safety gaps. The proposed project identifies these gaps and, while addressing, will add to each schools current security plan. Grant funds will be used to improve security as schools, and on schools grounds, through the implementation of new technology and equipment. As each school was evaluated IT was determined the following items are needed: school public address systems, radios, surveillance cameras, outdoor lighting, aiphone door camera, aiphone desk phones, and door access points. The goal of the proposed project is to use evidence-based solutions to prevent violence against schools, staff, and students in order to create a positive school climate and learning environment to ensure schools remain among the safest places for our students. Outcomes expected are dramatic reductions in incidences of school violence. By the end of year one, we expect the number to be down by a minimum of 10% at each school. The project is expected to decrease youth violence and delinquency and increase academic performance, school-wide test scores, graduation rates, and attendance rates. Out of 139 school systems in alabama, tcss ranks: #9 in size of student population; #1 in geographic area served (1,351 square miles); and #122 in revenue per student, one of the lowest funded local school systems in the state. More than 90 percent of the state, federal, and local funding received by tcss is mandated by state and federal law, leaving very little for school security upgrades. With cops school violence prevention program funds, this important project can and will come to fruition.