School Security Requests

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The Title IV-A grant allows LEAs to use their funding in the Safe & Healthy Students category. US Department of Education gives SEAs & LEAs guidance on the types of programs that fall under the Safe & Healthy Students Category. Allowable activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Promoting community and parent involvement in schools
• Providing school-based mental health services and counseling
• Promoting supportive school climates to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and promoting supportive school discipline
• Establishing or improving dropout prevention
• Supporting re-entry programs and transition services for justice- involved youth
• Implementing programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle (nutritional and physical education)
• Implementing systems and practices to prevent bullying and harassment
• Developing relationship building skills to help improve safety through the recognition and prevention of coercion, violence, or abuse
• Establishing community partnerships

(ESEA section 4108)

The emphasis of the grant is for the LEA to foster Safe & Healthy learning environments for students. This may include school security measures. To ensure that security requests from an LEA align with the Safe & Healthy Students category, as well as meeting all state and federal requirements (Supplement not Supplant, Necessary and Reasonable), the US Department of Education, and the Arizona Department of Education requests additional required steps for LEAs requesting to purchase school security measures.

All school security requests need to provide the following: Evidence-based research supporting the benefits for the requested item(s). Examples may include:

1. LEA parent/student survey data showing a need for the requested item(s), and
2. Published clearing House information supporting the purchase

And one of the following, which should show a need for the requested funding:

• LEA School Safety Plan, or
• LEA School Safety/Risk Assessment or Audit conducted by a third party or government agency (law enforcement)

The following programs are considered school security measures and will require additional supporting documentation from the LEA:

• School Resource Officers (SROs)
• Security Guards/Personnel
• School Security Equipment such as video cameras, etc.
• School Badge/ID Systems
• Hardening of School Facilities, including window and/or door locks, door barricades, fences, etc.
• Vaping Detectors or other such devices
• School Safety Hot Line or Tip Line
• Any other device or equipment deemed as a school security measure

This list is not exhaustive and school security measures will be evaluated on an individual LEA basis.