Tennessee’s Governor, Bill Lee, announced on Wednesday the launch of two grant programs worth nearly $200 million to improve security at Tennessee schools.
The grants, a joint effort between Gov. Lee and the General Assembly, will fund the placement of a full-time, armed school resource officer (SRO) at every public school and implement physical security improvements at public and non-public schools across Tennessee.
“Nothing is more important than making sure that Tennessee students and teachers return home from school safely each day,” Gov. Lee said.
“This year, together with the General Assembly, we made significant investments to secure schools across Tennessee, and we’re now inviting local law enforcement agencies and schools to partner with us by applying for these historic funds.”
Governor Lee has allocated a total of $140 million in the FY23-24 budget for the Statewide School Resource Officer Grant.
This will allow a full-time, armed SRO at every public school in Tennessee.
Local law enforcement agencies can apply for a Statewide School Resource Officer (SRO) Grant, with a cap of $75,000 per year, per school.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will review these applications on a rolling basis.
In addition to the SRO grants, a hefty $54 million of the budget will bolster security at Tennessee schools through the Public & Non-Public School Security Grants.
Of this, $40 million is designated for public schools and $14 million for non-public schools.
The Tennessee Department of Education will administer these grants, which can be used to enhance physical security, plan emergency operations, launch violence prevention programs, resolve conflicts, and provide safety training for staff members.
For public schools seeking to tap into the Public School Security Grant, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security mandates that grant applications must illustrate a link between requested funding and vulnerabilities identified in the school’s annual safety assessment.
Public schools have until September 29 to apply for this grant.
Non-public schools are also entitled to apply for the Non-Public School Security Grant.
They are required to submit an “Intent to Apply” to the Tennessee Department of Education by August 4, with final grant applications due no later than October 27.
The announcement from Governor Lee represents a substantial bipartisan investment in school safety across Tennessee, inviting local law enforcement agencies and schools to join forces in ensuring the safety and security of all students and teachers.
On March 25, 2023, a shooting occurred at The Covenant School near Nashville, leaving six people dead.
The shooter, killed by police, was Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old transgender-identified, biological woman.
