Nearly $25 million in grant funding has been awarded to 195 school districts, intermediate school districts, and public-school academies to support hiring 195 School Resource Officers (SROs) in Michigan for the next three years.
“Every parent wants their kids to be safe at school,” said Governor Gretcher Whitmer. “These grants will help us hire almost 200 more School Resource Officers so we can make sure our children, teacher, and staff are safe at school. Let’s keep working together to make record investments in our students and improve their classroom experience, build up school infrastructure, hire excellent educators, and invest in their comprehensive well-being, from mental health to safety.”
More than 334,000 Michigan students will benefit from improved safety and security provided by these Law Enforcement Officers.
The grants were awarded by a panel consisting of representatives from education and policing. They gave priority to schools and school districts lacking a School Resource Officer and schools from more communities with lower student enrollment and less total per pupil funding. These funds administered by the Michigan State Police (MSP), Grants and Community Services Division, may be used to support salaries, benefits and training for SROs. Each applicant jurisdiction is required to provide a 50 percent match.
“These grant awards will not only help to provide better safety in our school buildings by increasing the number of schools throughout the state with at least one SRO, but very importantly, by prioritizing smaller schools in more remote areas, we will reduce the time it takes for a police response in the event of an emergency,” said MSP Director Col. Joe Gasper.
In June, Gov. Whitmer signed legislation that fully funds risk assessments and critical incidence mapping at every school in the state to help protect students and create safety plans in the event of an emergency.
