Board reviews grants and safety funding: $241,000 Stronger Connections, COPS violence-prevention application pending
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Summary
Administrators told the board Aug. 28 that the district used several grants to support facilities and student well-being and submitted a roughly $500,000 COPS violence-prevention application that would require a 25% local match if awarded.
District finance staff and administrators briefed the board Aug. 28 on grant activity supporting facilities, student well-being and safety.
Chris Bobak summarized several grants used in fiscal 2024–25 and planned for FY26: an early-childhood hardship grant that funded playground equipment (figure cited in the presentation), a school maintenance grant applied to elevator modernization costs, and a Stronger Connections grant described as a multi-year award (referenced dollar amount $241,000) directed to student mental-health and well-being supports. Bobak said the district used portions of those awards for professional development, supplies and outside provider services.
Administrators also told the board they had submitted an application in July for the COPS (Violence Prevention) grant, a roughly $500,000 request that would require a 25% local match if awarded. The proposal included items such as additional strobes, an upgraded visitor-management system (noted as VisitorAware replacing the Raptor system), BluePoint integration and emergency “go bags” intended to provide supplies for a classroom if staff and students needed to shelter in place or evacuate temporarily. Kelly Hansen from the Gurnee Police Department joined discussion on the go-bag plan; administrators said the goal is to have one bag per classroom and that the application included an itemized list that came close to about 1,000 total units when the calculation was run.
Why it matters: The COPS grant would fund safety and prevention measures; if awarded, the 25% local match would require district-level budgeting to cover that share. Administrators said they expect notification in September and will report back to the board on award decisions.
No award decisions were taken at the meeting; the board heard the status of applications and existing grant-funded projects and asked for future reporting on grant outcomes and budget implications.