To assist schools with mental health training and threat assessment and reporting, the Federal STOP School Violence Act reserved funding for rural school districts. The deadline to apply for the grants is July 23. An informational webinar will be held on June 21.

The passage of the STOP School Violence Act provides $75 million in funding for FY18 and $100 million in funding for the following 9 years. The STOP Act dollars are distributed by the U.S. Department of Justice and within the Department there are three separate grant applications for districts. Learn more about the grants.

The first grant is for School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting. The second grant is for School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Programs.

While the grant solicitation indicates that STOP Act grantees are considered local governments, a school district can file directly (not as a subgrantee) since districts levy taxes and are considered a form of local government by DOJ. When you start to fill out the application you should select “independent school district” and put in all the correct information.

Learn more and register for the free webinar on the grant opportunities on June 21.