October 3, 2018
Department of Education Support for School Safety Initiatives
Congressional interest in K-12 public school safety and
to school safety (e.g., a health or nutrition education
security has been strong following multiple school
program) or an initiative focused on school safety.
shootings during the 2017-2018 school year, including the
mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
The programs and activities an LEA selects to support in
in Parkland, FL, and Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, TX.
the category of Safe and Healthy Students (§4108) must,
Though public school safety and security is primarily a
among other requirements, be used to develop, implement,
state and local responsibility, there are several federal
and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities that
programs and initiatives that can support these efforts. This
are coordinated with other schools and community-based
In Focus provides an overview of programs and resources
services and programs; and foster safe, healthy, supportive,
administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for
and drug-free environments that support student academic
improving school safety.
achievement. Examples of allowable activities in this
category related to school safety include the following:
Currently Funded Grant Programs
ED currently administers two programs that can help state
drug and violence prevention programs and activities
and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) address
that are evidence based (to the extent that such evidence
school safety concerns. Both programs are authorized
is reasonably available),
under Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds
school-based mental health services,
Act (ESSA; P.L. 114-95).
bullying and harassment prevention programs and
Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants
activities,
(SSAE grants, commonly referred to as the “block grant”
program) are authorized under ESEA Title IV-A. The
re-entry/transition programs for justice-involved youth,
purpose of SSAE grants is to improve students’ academic
achievement by increasing the capacity of states, LEAs, and
mentoring and school counseling,
schools to provide all students with access to a well-
rounded education, improve school conditions for student
school-wide positive behavioral intervention and
learning, and improve the use of technology. SSAE grant
support (PBIS) programs, and
funds are allocated by formula to each SEA, which must
allocate the majority of the SSAE block grant funds they
training for school personnel in trauma-informed
receive to LEAs (though they may reserve some funds for
practices in classroom management and crisis
state activities to support LEAs receiving grants). Funds are
management.
then suballocated via formula to LEAs. Program
appropriations were $1.1 billion in FY2018.
While drug and violence prevention activities are only
examples of what an LEA might choose to support with
LEAs have substantial flexibility with respect to the use of
Title IV-A funds, the Title IV-A program includes a
funds under the SSAE grant program. However, they must
definition of what constitutes “drug and violence
use funds for three broad categories of activities: (1)
prevention” in §4102(5). With respect to violence
supporting well-rounded educational opportunities, (2)
prevention, the term is defined as:
supporting safe and healthy students (including school
safety initiatives), and (3) supporting the effective use of
the promotion of school safety, such that students and
technology to improve the digital literacy of all students.
school personnel are free from violent and disruptive
acts, including sexual harassment and abuse, and
If an LEA receives a grant of $30,000 or more, it must
victimization associated with prejudice and intolerance,
provide assurances that it will use funds toward activities in
on school premises, going to and from school, and at
each of the three categories, including at least 20% for
school-sponsored activities, through the creation and
activities supporting safe and healthy students. If an LEA
maintenance of a school environment that is free of
receives a grant of less than $30,000, it may choose to use
weapons and fosters individual responsibility and
its funds entirely toward one of the categories of activities.
respect for the rights of others.
In such cases, LEAs may choose to use the entirety of their
SSAE grants toward school safety initiatives, or conversely,
More Information
to use all of their funds for activities under one of the other
For more information, see CRS In Focus IF10910, Student
two categories. Under either scenario, an LEA may choose
Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) Grants.
to support a “safe and healthy student” initiative unrelated
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Department of Education Support for School Safety Initiatives
National Activities for School Safety are authorized under
Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) Program: The
Title IV-F-3, Section 4631 of the ESEA. The National
PSR program was funded in FY2016 and FY2017 to
Activities for School Safety program authorizes the
award LEAs competitive grants to build their capacity to
Secretary of Education (hereinafter referred to as the
provide school-based supports to address the behavioral
Secretary) to use a portion of its funds for the Project
and mental health needs of students in communities that
School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV)
experienced significant civil unrest over the 24 months
program. Any remaining funds may be used to carry out
prior to the PSR grant opportunity announcement. It has
other activities to improve students’ safety and well-being,
not been funded since FY2017.
during and after the school day, through grants, contracts,
or cooperative agreements with public and private
Other ED Resources on School Safety
organizations or individuals, or through agreements with
In addition to grant programs to support school safety, ED
other federal agencies. Currently funded National Activities
maintains resources that could be helpful to policymakers
for School Safety include the following:
who want to understand more about this issue, or parents,
teachers, and school administrators who want to explore
Project SERV: This program was created to provide
ways to enhance the safety of their local schools and IHEs.
resources to LEAs and institutions of higher education
ED operates centers that provide information and technical
(IHEs) that have experienced a violent or traumatic
assistance on school safety and produces reports and data
crisis, disrupting the learning environment, such as a
products on school safety and security, including the
school shooting or hurricane. Two types of grants are
following:
awarded: (1) Immediate Services grants, which provide
short-term support following a traumatic event; and (2)
The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools
Extended Services grants, which address long-term
Technical Assistance (REMS TA) Center, which builds
recovery efforts following a traumatic event. The
the “preparedness capacity” of schools, LEAs, IHEs, and
program received $5 million in FY2018. In FY2018,
their community partners and provides information,
$10.4 million in grants were awarded. Appropriations
resources, and services in the field of K-12 and higher
not used in the year in which they are appropriated
education emergency operations planning.
remain available for awards in subsequent fiscal years.
The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning
School Climate Transformation Grants (SCTGs):
Environments (NCSSLE), which offers information and
The first cohort of SCTGs were competitively awarded
technical assistance to states, LEAs, and schools that
to 12 SEAs and over 70 LEAs in 21 states, the District
receive Title IV-A SSAE grants. NCSSLE also provides
of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for a five-year
listings of grants received by each state, as well as by LEAs
period beginning in FY2014. Continuation grant award
within each state, from ED and other federal agencies to
funds were provided each year between FY2015 and
support safe and supportive school-based initiatives.
FY2018. In FY2018, ED estimates that $8 million and
$24 million will be available for continuation grants to
Indicators of School Crime and Safety, which is a report
SEAs and LEAs, respectively. These competitive grants
produced jointly by ED’s National Center for Education
were provided to SEAs and LEAs to develop and
Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
implement multi-tiered decisionmaking frameworks
in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This report
designed to improve school climate and behavioral
presents federal data on school crime and student safety,
outcomes for all students, such as PBIS systems. The
based on information drawn from a variety of data sources,
Trump Administration has announced that the next
including national surveys of students, teachers, and
cohort of SCTGs, expected to be competitively awarded
principals conducted by ED, DOJ, and the Centers for
in FY2019, will support communities impacted by the
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Topics covered in
opioid crisis by providing grants to SEAs and LEAs to
the report include student and teacher victimization,
implement evidence-based opioid-use prevention
bullying and cyberbullying, school conditions, fights,
strategies in schools.
weapons, student use of drugs and alcohol, student
perceptions of personal safety at school, and safety and
Other programs recently funded under National Activities
security measures implemented by public schools.
for School Safety include the following:
Other CRS Resources on School Safety
Project Prevent Grants (PPGs): This program
CRS Report R45251, School Resource Officers: Issues
awarded competitive grants to LEAs in communities
for Congress;
with pervasive violence to support students and reduce
the likelihood that students who have been exposed to
CRS In Focus IF10836, Department of Justice Support
violence will later commit violent acts themselves.
for School Safety Initiatives; and
Recipients of PPGs were required to provide school-
based social and emotional supports to victims of
CRS In Focus IF10882, Department of Homeland
violence; access to counseling services to assist students
Security Resources for School Security and Safety
in coping with trauma or anxiety; and strategies and
Kyrie E. Dragoo, Analyst in Education Policy
activities to improve the school environment and
Rebecca R. Skinner, Specialist in Education Policy
prevent future violence. Grants were only awarded in
FY2014.
IF10992
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Department of Education Support for School Safety Initiatives
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10992 · VERSION 2 · NEW