Sneak Preview: BJA Seeks STOP School Violence Program Proposals

(The following was excerpted from a recent article in the Federal Grants Development Handbook.) The Department of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is providing $71.5 million in federal fiscal year 2020 funding to eligible applicants under the Student, Teachers and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program, aimed at supporting local, territorial and tribal jurisdictions in reducing violent crime in and around schools.

(Editor’s note: Concerns surrounding the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) could potentially impact submission dates or other factors pertaining to award notices. Relevant questions pertaining to this program should be sent to the National Criminal Justice Reference Center at grants@ncjrs.gov.)

Authorized by the DOJ Appropriations Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-93), the STOP School Violence Program (Assistance Listings No. 16.839) offers funding for school safety projects such as: (1) training to prevent student violence, including training for local law enforcement officers, school personnel and students; (2) the development and operation of anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines and websites; and (3) the development and deployment of school threat assessment and intervention teams that include coordination with law enforcement agencies and school personnel, as well as specialized training for school officials in responding to mental health crises.

Entities eligible to apply under this program are states, units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribes, public agencies (e.g., school districts, towns, cities and municipalities, individual schools, police departments, sheriff’s departments, governmental mental health service providers and health departments); and nonprofit entities, including private schools.

According to a recent notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the program, applicants can seek awards under the following four categories:

• Category 1 (pertaining to states): Train school personnel and educate students on preventing student violence against others and themselves to include anti-bullying training. This category can also include specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises.
• Category 2 (pertaining to states): Develop and implement threat assessment and/or intervention teams and/or operate technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines and websites. Threat assessment and/or intervention teams must coordinate with law enforcement agencies and school personnel.
• Category 3 (pertaining to units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribes, public agencies, nonprofit entities to include private schools): Train school personnel and educate students on preventing student violence and anti-bullying training, including specialized training for school officials to respond to mental health crises.
• Category 4 (pertaining to units of local government, federally recognized Indian tribes, public agencies, nonprofit entities such as private schools): Develop and implement threat assessment and/or intervention teams and/or operate technology solutions such as anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines and websites. Threat assessment and/or intervention teams must coordinate with law enforcement agencies and school personnel.

(The full version of this story has now been made available to all for a limited time here.)

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