Oklahoma Dept. of Education awarded federal grants to increase school safety

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma State Department of Education says they have been awarded grants that will go towards increasing school safety in the state.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister announced Wednesday that her agency has been awarded two federal grants that will bring over $4 million to increase safety and security at state schools.

The first grant, totaling $3.7 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Education, will go to funding a staff of three full-time school safety and security staff. The staff will assist at least 85 school districts in developing and practicing Emergency Operation Plans.

“Ensuring the safety of our students and schools is of paramount importance,” Hofmeister said. “Oklahoma is committed to providing families and schools with effective and appropriate tools to proactively address the safety and security of our children. We are grateful to have secured funding that will enable us to achieve that goal.”

Text messaging functionality will also be added to a 24-hour tip line for parents and students to report acts of violence in Oklahoma schools.

The second grant, of $250,000 over three years from the U.S. Department of Justice, will go towards creating threat violence assessment curriculum and training for three school districts in Comanche County: Lawton, Geronimo and Cache.