The maine-endwell central school district (mecsd), located in broome county, new york, will implement a violence prevention program that will include extensive training for district staff and addition…

The Maine-Endwell Central School District in Broome County, New York, was awarded a $709,959 Project Grant from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance under the STOP School Violence Program (CFDA 16.839) to implement a violence prevention program from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025. The District will provide extensive training to staff on topics such as comprehensive school threat assessment, suicide awareness, mental health first aid, de-escalation techniques, and diversity and oppression. School counselors and social workers will receive specialized suicide risk assessment training. The District will also partner with local law enforcement on threat assessment and hire two new positions - a Student Engagement Liaison and School Safety Coordinator - to support violence prevention initiatives. The goal of this funding is to improve school security and help prevent violence, with expected outcomes including reduced discipline referrals, suspensions, and chronic absenteeism.

The maine-endwell central school district (mecsd), located in broome county, new york, will implement a violence prevention program that will include extensive training for district staff and addition of two new positions. Mecsd serves approximately 2,300 students in four buildings. District staff will participate in training on comprehensive school threat assessment guidelines (cstag), suicide awareness, youth mental health first aid, nonviolent crisis intervention, restorative practices, active shooter, "youth & technology," and "oppression & diversity." school counselors and social workers will receive specialized training in suicide risk assessment using the columbia suicide severity rating scale. The district will partner with the broome county sheriff's office and new york state police, who will participate in cstag training and on the district's behavioral threat assessment team. The district will also bring on two new positions to support violence prevention: student engagement liaison and school safety coordinator. Expected outcomes of the project include a reduction in student discipline referral, reduction in in-school suspension, and reduction in the number of chronically absent students.