Many WCRIS schools are struggling with the School Safety Grant application process so WCRIS met with the Interim Director of the Office of School Safety(OSS), Glenn Rehberg, May 1 to discuss obstacles and potential solutions for our schools.
“The meeting raised some important questions from our members and allowed WCRIS to share insights about private schools experience with the application process,” said WCRIS Executive Director Sharon Schmeling.
“Director Rehberg is very receptive to our concerns and his staff is working with us to provide guidance to our schools on how to proceed,” she said.
WCRIS will be meeting again Friday with Rehberg to resolve issues about whether to apply as a school or as a system and how a system is defined.
WCRIS will provide guidance from the Office of School Safety as soon as possible through Current Events, Schmeling said.
“We expect to reach a resolution in the coming days and will update our schools as soon as we have definitive answers from the Office of School Safety,” she said.
In the meantime, schools should continue working on their grant applications. Specifically, schools can:
- Identify the improvements they are seeking and get estimates from vendors.
- Obtain approval letters from local law enforcement, as outlined on the application guidance document.
Rehberg says the letters do not need to be long or detailed. The letters can simply state that the school officials met with the local law enforcement agency and that the agency is working with the school and approves of your current safety measures and proposed upgrades. You must obtain signatures from both your local and county law enforcement agencies.
If you have any questions, check the FAQ section on the DOJ website. If you still have questions, please contact our office and WCRIS staff members will help answer your questions.
