BISMARCK — State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said 13 North Dakota school districts have been awarded $5.93 million in federal mental health and school security grants. Jamestown area school districts awarded funding are Ellendale, $366,791, and New Rockford, $110,100.
North Dakota was allocated $4.83 million for the grants by the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act . Because of strong grant demand from North Dakota schools, the Department of Public Instruction supplemented that amount with other federal funds that are intended for learning loss initiatives, Baesler said.
The Dickinson school district received the largest grant — $1.1 million — while six districts were awarded between $400,000 and $800,000. The money will be distributed to schools over three years, beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
The money was awarded using a competitive process that used districts’ percentages of students living in poverty, chronic absenteeism rates, and high rates of students who were disengaged to identify which districts were most in need of the funds.
The money will be used for a variety of mental health and school security purposes , including school mental health services; prevention of violence, suicide and bullying; training for building relationship skills; conflict resolution and crisis management; and child sexual abuse awareness and prevention.
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