The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of School Safety received a $1 million grant from the federal government to develop a statewide reporting system for threats of school violence, according to the agency’s report to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee on May 21.
The agency said the federal funding would also cover training for all members of the school community statewide on what information should be reported, how to report it and how the reported information will be used by the Department of Justice. The training will cover all school personnel and will include age-appropriate messages for students.
No timeline was provided for when the tip-line would be operative.
The agency also told the committee that of the $100 million appropriated for school safety last year, $3.5 million remains. Those funds will be used to support schools that experience a crisis and do not have the resources to respond.
This was the case in the Barron School District this past winter after the disappearance of Jayme Closs and the murder of her parents. The DOJ’s Office of School Safety provided crisis experts, therapy pets and school psychologists as the school district attempted to continue its work while the search for Jayme was underway and the community was on high-alert.
WCRIS is a member of the Office of School Safety’s Advisory Committee and will continue to monitor the Agency’s work on behalf of private schools to ensure we have equal access to the services and grants that DOJ administers.
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