Program Overview
The School Security Disbursement (SSD) Grant Program enacted by SB23-241 provides disbursements to local education providers and eligible nonprofit organizations to use for the purpose of improving security within public schools.
Eligibility
Local education providers, including school districts, charter schools, boards of cooperative services, or any combination of local education providers who wish to apply together as a single regional applicant are eligible to apply. Additionally, eligible nonprofit organizations who apply to work with specific local education providers or first responders are eligible to apply.
Allowable Use
The program funds may only be used for the following purposes:
- Capital construction that improves the security of a public school facility or public school vehicle, including but not limited to any structure or installed hardware, device, or equipment that protects a public school facility or public school vehicle and the students, educators, and other individuals who attend, work in, or visit a public school facility or are transported in a public school vehicle from threats of physical harm including but not limited to any structure or installed hardware, device, or equipment that:
- Prevents the entry of unauthorized individuals into a public school facility or a protected space within a public school facility or onto a public school vehicle.
- Can be used to expedite communication when a threat is present.
- Training in student threat assessment for all school building staff who have contact with students, which must include best practices for conducting threat assessments, such as instruction on how to prevent bias when conducting a threat assessment.
- In collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, providing training for peace officers on interactions with students at school.
- School emergency response training for all school building staff.
- Programs to help students become more resilient in meeting the daily challenges they face without resorting to violence against themselves or others, including addressing the fundamental causes of violence and aggression and helping students become responsible members of their schools, neighborhoods, communities, and families.
- Developing and providing training programs, curriculums, and seminars related to school safety incident response.
- Developing best practices and protocols related to school safety incident response.
Program Timeline:
Announcement and Application Handbook Available on November 30, 2023.
Application Submission Deadline: Monday, January 8, 2024 by 5:00 PM MST
Application Documentation:
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