Johnston County Public Schools has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services School Violence Prevention Program to improve school safety.
The announcement was made on Thursday, Sept. 10, by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. of Eastern District of North Carolina.
“School safety is a top priority for our school system and these funds will further enhance our efforts, said JCPS Superintendent Dr. Eric Bracy.
According to Dr. Cherry Johnson, Director of Research and Grant Development, the district seeks grants and resources to augment all aspects of the learning environment and foster student success.
Johnson collaborated with JCPS Safety and Auxiliary Officer Chase Ferrell to apply for the grant in April 2020 after he expressed the need for additional funding to enhance security measures.
“As soon as Mr. Ferrell expressed the need for additional resources, I began searching for potential funding sources since security products can be costly,” said Johnson. “I’m so elated that JCPS has been awarded the grant. It will help us enhance campus security and improve our crisis response capabilities.”
According to Ferrell, the funds from this grant will allow the district to become more efficient in its lockdown safety protocols at school sites in the district.
“This grant helps support our goal of providing an environment for students and staff that is safe, secure, and conducive to teaching and learning,” said Ferrell. “We want to ensure school safety stays at the forefront of our minds and that we are always actively working towards finding avenues to allow us to improve in this area.”
