51 by 51

Funding for School Safety

Several days ago, we highlighted the various school safety policy accomplishments of the Republican-led House of Delegates.  These new policies are supported with a historic investment in school and student safety funding in the budget amendments adopted by the General Assembly

The budget includes approximately $12 million in funding for school resource officers, school safety infrastructure, and other initiatives designed to keep our students safe in schools.  Also included in the budget is significant funding to support school counselors and direct-student counseling services.

A main priority of the Select Committee on School Safety, formed by Speaker Cox in March of 2018, was to secure our schools and keep students safe without creating unfunded mandates for localities. Our budget responsibly allocates resources to allow for these safety features to be implemented without the cost burden falling to the local school districts.

Here’s a summary of the School Safety initiatives included in the final budget agreement.

Item	Funding
Increased Funding for School Security Equipment Grant Program	$6.0 million
Increased Funding for School Resource Officer Grants	$3.0 million
School Safety Training in all Public Schools	$872,000
Threat Assessment Team Case Management Tool	$721,000
Basic Training for School Resource Officers	$428,000
School Climate Survey	$400,000
Funding for Active Shooter Training	$280,000
Total Funding	$11.7 million