Secured School Safety Grant Program
News/Updates
FY24 Secured School Safety Grant Awards
The Indiana Secured School Safety Board has approved nearly $30 million in matching state grants to 474 schools as part of the FY2024 Secured School Safety Grant. See award distribution details below
About the Secured School Safety Grant
The Indiana Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) program was created in 2013 and codified by Indiana Code 10-21. The legislation was established to increase the safety of Indiana schools. The SSSG program is a dedicated state fund that provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools, coalition of school corporations and charter schools.
Program Overview
The SSSG program is an allocated state fund that provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools and coalitions of school corporations. SSSG funds may be used to:
- Employ a school resource officer (SRO) or law enforcement officer (LEO).
- Conduct a site vulnerability assessment and/or critical incident digital mapping.
- Purchase equipment, hardware, materials and technology to:
- Restrict access to school property and classrooms; or
- Assist with visitor management on school property; or
- Expedite notification of first responders; or
- Expedite access to school property for first responders; or
- Provide school staff with information about the open or closed status of interior and exterior doors; or
- Detect fire, chemical, visual, or audible threats; or
- Enhance emergency communications inside the building; or
- Assist with emergency medical response on school property.
- Implement a student and parent support services plan.
- Purchase or provide training for a canine trained to detect drugs and illegal substances, explosives or firearms, or to otherwise provide protection for students and school employees.
- Provide funding for school employees to receive training, including expenses for per diem, travel and lodging related to eligible training.
- Provide funding for school resource officer or law enforcement officer to receive training, including expenses for per diem, travel and lodging, related to handling a trained canine.
- Design and construct additions or renovations on school property if the primary purpose is to enhance the physical security of the school building.
- Implement a bullying prevention program.
- Purchase a one-time non-matching grant to enable school corporations to work with their sheriff to provide the initial set up costs for an active event warning system.
- Provide a response to a threat in a manner that the school corporation or charter school sees fit, including firearms training (curriculum now defined) or other self-defense training or securing funds for counseling in the event of a school shooting.
- Purchase student safety management technology.
Additional Information
- School Resource Officer (SRO) qualifications: To qualify for funding through SSSG, an SRO must be a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board (LETB) basic training program per Indiana Code (IC 5-2-1-9), have received (or is in the process of receiving) 40 hours of SRO training through the LETB, the National Association of School Resource Officers or another program approved by the LETB, be assigned to one or more school corporations, private or charter schools, and be currently employed/appointed by a law enforcement agency. Also, following 2019 legislative changes, SSSG is now able to reimburse schools for employing a law enforcement officer and/or entering into a MOU with local law enforcement agency for a LEO to serve in schools. SSSG will reimburse for salary and fringe benefits for LEO staff. Schools are also able to apply for the LEO to take the 40-hour BASIC SRO training and become a certified SRO, if applicable.
- Active alert warning system vendors
- Below are the funding and match formulas reflecting 2019 legislation. Schools of any average daily membership (ADM) or pupil enrollment may apply for up to $100,000 in grant funds. If the school chooses to apply for grant funding, it will be required to match the grant funds at a percentage related to the school’s ADM or pupil enrollment and the amount of grant funding requested.
Eligibility
The following two requirements must be met before starting a Secured School Safety grant application.
Memorandum of Understanding With a Community Mental Health Center
Indiana Code 10-21-1-5(d) requires that "each school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school shall certify to the department of homeland security that the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school has a memorandum of understanding in place with a community mental health center established under IC 12-29-2 or provider certified or licensed by the state to provide mental or behavioral health services to students before applying for a grant under this chapter. A provider described in this subsection may be employed by the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school."
Site Vulnerability Assessment
Indiana Code 10-21-1-5(c) requires that each school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school shall certify to the department of homeland security that the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school has conducted a site vulnerability assessment for each school building used by the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school before applying for a grant under this chapter.
Application (Notice of Funding Opportunity)
- Apply for the Grant
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Application
- FY2024 SSSG Notice of Funding Opportunity
- FY2023 SSSG Notice of Funding Opportunity
- FY2022 SSSG Notice of Funding Opportunity
- FY2021 SSSG Notice of Funding Opportunity
- FY2020 SSSG Notice of Funding Opportunity
Apply online via IntelliGrants
Need Help with IntelliGrants? Visit the IntelliGrants page.
Resources
- 2018 School Safety Recommendations
In March 2018, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a letter commending the state for its leadership in school safety initiatives. He requested an additional $5 million be allocated to the Secured School Fund to support safety initiatives and directed the executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the director of School Building Physical Security & Safety for the Indiana Department of Education to lead a group of experts in establishing recommendations that would address the unique threats facing schools today. The complete recommendations were delivered to the governor on Aug. 1, 2018.Over the course of more than four months, several key focus areas to enhance school security were identified through the efforts of the working group. Indiana must address gaps in areas that go beyond hardening our buildings and training to respond to incidents. An increased emphasis on enhanced and expanded mental health services as well as the adoption of equipment and technology impacting school safety is needed. In addition, it is recommended that policy makers re-evaluate the scope of eligible projects and the funding formula for the Secured School Fund. Finally, it is clear that multiple agencies and groups collect data on trends, threats, and student behavior, but that information is rarely shared with all the stakeholders with an interest in student well-being. The recommendations set forth in this report will help Indiana take school security to the next level and further establish the state as a national standard when it comes to protecting children.
- Active Shooter Preparedness
- Advances from the Common School Fund
A school corporation or charter school who has applied for and been awarded a matching grant from the Indiana Secured School Fund (established at Ind. Code 10-21-1-2) may apply for an advance from the Common School Fund. Details on the advance program and the application for an advance may be found here.
- Indiana School Safety Information
- Indiana Secured School Safety Board
The Indiana Secured School Safety Board was established to approve or disapprove applications for matching grants through the Secured School Safety Grant Program. Visit the Boards and Commissions page for more information.
Secured School Safety Board Contact
Rusty Goodpaster
Secured School Safety Director - Previous Distributions and Support
For more information on distribution and support, please visit the Data and Statistics page.
The awarding of grants began in 2014 and continues annually through the Indiana Grants Management System (iGMS). Since 2014, about $163 million has been awarded to Indiana schools that meet the eligibility requirements in their grant requests.
From FY14 to FY24, the Indiana Secured School Grant Board has approved 3,606 grant requests.
Note: Before FY2020, there were only three categories, which were School Resource Officers, Equipment and Threat Assessments. Since FY2020, three categories have been added: Active Event Early Warning System, Student and Parent Support Services, and Other Training.
- Mental Health Services MOUs
Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 246 - Mental Health Services was passed in 2020 and requires a school corporation, charter school or accredited nonpublic school to certify to IDHS that it has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in place with a community mental health center or provider certified or licensed by the state to provide mental and behavioral health services to students before applying for a grant from the Indiana Secured School Fund.