Center for Safer Schools

The North Carolina Center for Safer Schools serves to promote safe learning environments for North Carolina K-12 schools. The Center serves as a hub of information and technical assistance on school safety to school faculty and staff, law enforcement, youth-serving community agencies, juvenile justice officials, policymakers, parents/guardians and students.

Center staff focus on school climate, school discipline, and emergency preparedness concerns for North Carolina’s public K-12 schools. Staff are available to provide trainings, guidance and technical assistance upon request for school faculty and staff, and those working with children and adolescents.

A Message from the CFSS Executive Director

The NC Center for Safer Schools is the state of North Carolina’s clearinghouse for resources and training whose main goal is to maintain our schools as centers of learning and not fear. By building a collaborative and layered approach to school safety, we bring subject matter experts together ranging from mental health professionals to law enforcement/public safety professionals blended with emerging technologies. Our outreach and scope are derived from the district level and not from the top down which allows us to provide support across the diverse school districts that make North Carolina great. These collaborative efforts are what will help encourage, empower and sustain our youth and help them realize they are not alone.

Our hope is that you find this website informative and helpful as you make use of our resources to maintain a safe environment for our kids to learn.

Robert Trumbo

Executive Director, NC Center for Safer Schools

Mission

Develop and implement strategies to ensure that students are safer in schools.

Vision

All schools in the state are safe, secure and offer an environment conducive to learning.

Who We Serve

NC Center for Safer Schools (NC CFSS) is a statewide customer focused school safety and crisis prevention resource for over 2500 schools both public and charter.

Programs and Services

NCCFSS accomplishes its mission by:

Education and Training of schools and other stakeholders
Receiving consultation and assistance from advisory Task Force
Anonymous Reporting
Focusing on 6 sub-areas:
1. Mental Health
2. Physical Security & Emergency Preparedness
3. School Climate & Discipline
4. Substance Use
5. Gang Intervention
6. School Resource Officers (SROs)

NC School Safety Grants Program FY19

As of this writing, we have not received any information from the legislators on an extension for the NC School Safety Grant Program. Currently, all monies must be spent by the close of the fiscal year which is 30 June 2020 (OSBM 4.3.1 Liquidation of Obligations The fiscal year ends on June 30th and all obligations should be liquidated by the end of the fiscal year). Also, Per OSBM guidelines (OSBM 4.1 Payment of Obligations, Early payments should not be made because it is an added cost to the State through loss of interest on deposited funds) you cannot pay for services in advance. We understand the hardship that everyone is under in light of COVID 19 and we will be as accommodating as possible staying within the guidelines and mandates of OSBM. As our (DPI) leadership interacts with legislators, we will advise you if there is any flexibility or adjustments made. For the sake of efficiency, we will send out information via CCIP to all awardees, as well as post it on the Center for Safer Schools webpage. Please check the website for updates.

Karen W. Fairley, Assistant Director/Grants Administrator

NC School Safety Grants Program FY20

The 2020-21 NC School Safety Grant Program- SRO is now accepting applications. Please click here this grant term begins when funds are received and will end on 30 June 2021. The North Carolina School Safety Grant Program – School Resource Officers grant may be continued for an additional year. Continuation awards are contingent upon availability of state funds and are based on the PSU’s ability to demonstrate compliance with state and federal laws and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction policies including reporting requirements, program progress and maintenance of documentation. The deadline for grant submission is Friday 12 June 2020 at 11:59 EDT…No Exceptions.

For additional information please contact schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov