Governor Parson signed the Fiscal Year 2023 early supplemental budget bill yesterday, which includes $20 million to provide school safety grants to Missouri local education agencies (LEAs). The grant program aims to support physical security upgrades and associated technology in school facilities (e.g., door locks, monitoring systems), bleeding control kits, and automatic external defibrillators.

“Improving the safety and security of our schools is an issue we can all support, and we thank the General Assembly for approving these grants to help ensure our schools remain safe environments for Missouri children to learn,” Governor Mike Parson said. “While threats of violence are something we never want to see in our classrooms, we must be prepared and have proper resources and response plans in place.”

“Funding to support safety helps ensure schools remain among the safest places for our students,” said Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. “DESE is continuing new efforts focused on enhancing mental health supports for students and school staff, which are key preventative steps. These additional grant funds to support the physical safety of schools is an important complement to those initiatives.”

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is finalizing the grant details and will share allowable uses and further guidance with LEAs in the near future. The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget recommendations include an additional $50 million to further support school safety efforts.