The Riverside Local School District was recently awarded a $212,755 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) through its School Violence Prevention Program. Riverside partnered with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office to write and submit a comprehensive grant application.
Riverside is one of only two public school districts in the State of Ohio to receive this award. Nationally, only 206 out of 1,022 grant applications were funded, which represents approximately 20 percent of the total number of applications submitted.
The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program is a competitive award program designed to provide funding to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the grantee’s jurisdiction through evidence-based school safety programs.
Riverside will use these grant funds for the purchase, installation, setup, and training of a district-wide communication system consisting of 400 individual hands-free badges that allow for instant communication. These hands-free badges will be assigned to teachers and various staff throughout the district. This system can be used for both emergencies and for day-to-day operations and communication. The grant will cover approximately 75% of the cost of this system. Implementation of this system further demonstrates the District’s commitment to providing a safe and supportive environment for its students, teachers, and staff.
Riverside appreciates its strong partnership with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Without their assistance, this project would not have been possible.