Whitmer announces 150 schools to receive $10 million in total for school safety grants to keep students safe in classrooms

On Tuesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that 150 awards were made to 57 local school districts, 14 intermediate school districts, 40 nonpublic schools, and 39 public school academies for $10 million in state funding from the Competitive School Safety Grant Program (CSSGP). These grants will go toward the purchase of equipment and/or technology to improve the safety and security of school buildings, students, and staff.   

 “Michigan’s students and educators deserve to feel safe in school,” said Whitmer. “I’m proud that this state-funded grant program helps schools make improvements to help keep students and educators safe by funding more secure learning environments. In my budget proposal for next school year, I’ve proposed $66 million in school safety grants, which is equal to the total amount distributed since 2015. With this historic proposal and my larger education budget, which includes resources to improve every kid’s in-class experience, build and renovate school facilities, and retain and recruit more teachers, we will invest in every school and every district across Michigan.”

A total of 336 eligible applications were received, requesting approximately $35 million in funding. Grant applications were reviewed by a committee that included representatives from the Michigan State Police (MSP), Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, Michigan Sheriffs’ Association, Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools, Michigan Emergency Management Association, charter schools and school security personnel. Grant recipients have until July 1, 2023, to spend their awards

“These grant awards will provide the resources needed by many schools throughout our state to ensure students have a safe learning environment,” said MSP Director Col. Joe Gasper. “The review committee gave priority to proposals that sought to secure exterior access points at school buildings, as it is considered one of the best and most cost-effective ways to improve safety and security.”  

“This is an excellent step forward in providing resources to assist Districts with the challenges of funding and implementing enhanced school safety protocols,” said Robert Dwan, deputy executive director, Michigan Schools Business Officials.

“Schools should be safe havens for all those who walk their halls and learn in their classrooms,” Dr.  Tina Kerr, executive director, Michigan Association of Superintendents & Administrators (MASA). “These dollars are essential to helping ensure that students and staff across the state are safe. We are happy to see so many Michigan districts receiving grants and hope to see even more districts able to access these important supports in the future.”

The CSSGP is administered by the Office of School Safety within the MSP Grants and Community Services Division. With this year’s awards, over $66 million in school safety funding has been awarded to schools and school districts since 2015.

In February of this year, Whitmer released her fourth executive budget?recommendation that puts Michiganders first and?delivers on?the?issues?that matter most to Michigan families. The governor’s $18.4 billion investment in education, the most in Michigan history, includes $66 million for School Safety Programs. These investments build off existing school safety grant opportunities for districts by increasing funding to $51 million. In addition, the budget recommends $15 million for the implementation of cross-sector approaches to prevent mass violence through partnerships between schools, public safety, mental health professionals, and communities.