SANFORD, NC – The School Safety Grant Program through the Center for Safer Schools is once again awarding Lee County Schools funds to improve safety and security across the district. Lee County Schools has been awarded $225,000 to improve school safety across the district. This is the second straight year the district has received this grant from the Center with last year’s grant of $300,000 bringing the total funds awarded to LCS in the School Safety Grant Program to $525,000.
In a separate grant from the Center for Safer Schools, the district also received $484,000 in grant funding for a two-year School Resource Officer Grant. These funds are designated to help offset the cost of placing school resource officers on each campus in the system. In partnership with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department the district employs 18 School Resource Officers across 17 campuses.
Last year, Lee County Schools used School Safety Grant funds at Lee County and Southern Lee High Schools to purchase additional metal detectors and other safety equipment. All schools received new radios to improve staff communication around security. Several school campuses received funds to implement perimeter fencing. The grant also helped provide additional safety personnel for after-school events on campus.
“We had an opportunity last year to bolster some areas in our safety budget where we felt like we could get the most impact towards our goal of keeping students and staff safe on our campuses,” said Dr. David Blackmon, who serves as the Safety and Security Coordinator for Lee County Schools. “This year’s grant gives us another opportunity to tackle some challenges that may have been a year or two away from getting fully funded had we only had our regular allotments of state and local funds to work with.”
Grant funds for this year within the district will be utilized in three areas: safety equipment, services for students in crisis, and school safety training. Safety equipment updates will be concentrated on camera equipment upgrades and additional badge reader access points. The district plans to use funds designated for services to students in crisis to provide mental health and behavioral support for students. Funds designated for school safety training will be targeted toward providing best practice learning opportunities for school and district staff.
Since 2018, the Department of Public Instruction has worked with the General Assembly to improve safety in public schools by providing grants for school resource officers, services for students in crisis, training to increase school safety, providing safety equipment in schools and additional school mental health support personnel.
Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Dossenbach also expressed his gratitude upon receipt of the news. “We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all of our students and staff. This is and will remain our top priority. I commend our team for securing over $1 million in additional funding over the past two years to enhance school safety. Investing in safety is not optional – it is essential. This funding allows us to dedicate more local resources to academic progress, student achievement, and the well-being and support of our employees.”
Dossenbach continued, “We will continue to work diligently to put our district in a position to take advantage of grant opportunities like these through the Center for Safer Schools. I am confident that with the combined efforts of our Board of Education, our Operations Department, and the continued support of our community, we will strengthen our commitment to providing a safe and welcoming environment where every student can thrive.”