Virginia lawmakers, like others across the US, responded to the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary by passing several laws and policies focused on making schools safer. In 2023, Virginia schools will receive grant money made possible by such legislation. Many Virginia local educational agencies (LEAs) were awarded substantial federal funding for creating robust school safety plans. The grants will fund school safety solutions that include new infrastructure and technology, staff training, mental health resources, inclusion efforts, and more.

In late 2022, the Virginia Department of Education announced $12 million in state School Security Equipment Grants to provide school safety solutions that protect students, faculty, and visitors in Virginia public schools. The grants will provide funding to 431 schools in 90 school divisions. The award criteria prioritize schools most in need of modern security equipment, with high numbers of offenses, with needs identified by a school security audit, and in divisions least able to afford security upgrades. 

The Virginia General Assembly established the School Security Equipment Grants program in 2013, in the aftermath of the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. In 2020, the General Assembly doubled the total annual appropriation for the program from $6 million to $12 million. The legislature also increased the maximum award per school division from $100,000 to $250,000.

Security equipment that qualifies for funding under the School Security Equipment Grants Program includes: 

In late 2022, the U.S. Department of Education announced nearly $1 billion in awards through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). In Virginia, the Stronger Connections grants aim to provide students with safe and supportive learning opportunities and environments critical for their success.

Through the BSCA, Congress awarded $1 billion in funding to state educational agencies (SEAs) to develop state grant programs to give students safer and healthier learning environments. The BSCA specifies that SEAs must award these funds competitively to high-need LEAs, as determined by the state.

In November 2022, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice guided schools in creating school safety plans that qualify for grant funding. These safety plans are crucial in a school’s efforts to “provide a positive and safe school climate where students and staff feel supported—no matter their background—and are socially, emotionally, and physically safe to learn and work.”  This grant focuses on helping schools foster sustained learning, engagement, and attachment for students in Virginia schools. The Stronger Connections Grant Program mandates that schools should do this by becoming more resilient, supporting mental health, and improving their school climate.

According to the Department of Education, schools should spend Stronger Connections Grant Program funds to: 

Examples of spending that qualifies for funding include hiring counselors and nurses, expanding mental and behavioral health services, providing teacher training on inclusion and behavioral interventions, and other related efforts to create a positive and supportive climate in Virginia schools.

The Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety was created in 2000 to improve and enhance safety in Virginia. It accomplishes this mission by addressing security and safety topics affecting Virginia law enforcement, schools, and higher education institutions. The VCSCS is a resource and training center for information and research about national and statewide safety efforts and initiatives in K-12 schools and higher education institutions. The organization aims to assist Virginia schools in creating and implementing effective school safety solutions.

The VCSC’s mandate includes:

The VCSC School Safety Survey is a yearly web-based survey that provides K-12 public schools with a standardized format for conducting a safety audit. The Virginia School Safety Audit assesses safety conditions in public schools. It develops solutions to improve building security and student safety concerns. The VCSC then recommends structural adjustments, changes in school safety procedures, and revisions to the school board’s standards for student conduct.

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform is an emergency incident response safety system that features wearable panic buttons, digital mapping software, and reunification and visitor management capabilities and generates accurate, usable data. The Safety Platform solution uses visual strobes, digital messages, and automated intercom announcements to inform everyone of a campus-wide incident and to instruct them on actions they should take. The Safety Platform meets the security infrastructure needs the Virginia school safety grants aim to address.

The Safety Platform features an analytics dashboard that assists administrators as they make safety and security decisions. A data set is generated when a staff member uses their wearable badge to request assistance. Administrators can better understand where and why and under what conditions. These administrative decisions, enabled by Platform data, contribute to the “positive and safe climate” that the safety grants aim to foster. 

The CENTEGIX school safety platform provides robust and uninterrupted communication between staff members, administrators, first responders, and students. Unlike other emergency incident response systems, the Safety Platform’s technology precludes adoption and connectivity challenges. It runs on a dedicated IoT network; it’s not susceptible to Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity interruptions. And because the CrisisAlert mobile panic button is worn along with an ID badge, 100% of staff members use it. This high adoption rate means that every staff member at every location on campus can request help when they need it. CrisisAlert generates accurate location data for every alert, no matter where on campus. Therefore first responders know exactly where to go during an emergency. In many instances, this kind of rapid response can prevent tragedy. 

These critical features of the CrisisAlert badge and Safety Blueprint from CENTEGIX ensure an immediate response: 

CENTEGIX Safety Platform can help school districts and LEAs enact these measures, making students and staff safer. The Safety platform school safety solution helps create a climate of safety by enabling staff members to request help immediately, from anywhere on campus, in any type of emergency. Under these conditions, teachers can focus on student needs, and students can focus on learning. 

CENTEGIX is the leader in incident response solutions. Our Safety Platform is the fastest and easiest way for staff to request help in an emergency, from the everyday to the extreme. CENTEGIX innovates technology to empower and protect people, and leaders nationwide trust our safety solutions to provide peace of mind.