Summary of Federal Project Grant Award

The McDowell County Board of Education (doing business as MC Dowell Public Schools) received a $500,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) under the School Violence Prevention Program (CFDA 16.071), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028. This three-year award funds evidence-based school security improvements and violence prevention initiatives across the school district's K-12 jurisdiction in Welch, West Virginia.

The funded products and services include coordination with local law enforcement, training for officers focused on preventing student violence, installation of security technologies such as metal detectors and enhanced lighting systems, implementation of emergency notification systems to expedite law enforcement response during crises, and other security enhancements designed to improve overall school safety. The award requires the district to demonstrate consultation with diverse stakeholders including mental health professionals, teachers, parents, students, and school violence researchers to ensure improvements are comprehensive and tailored to individual school needs. Recipients must submit semiannual programmatic performance reports and quarterly federal financial reports to the COPS Office through the project completion date.