WASHINGTON – Top Appropriations Committee Republican Kay Granger (R-TX) released the following statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded a Texas 12 school district and police department a total of $582,793 to improve school safety through the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services’ (COPS) School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP). The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District has been awarded $500,000, and the North Richland Hills Police Department has been awarded $82,793.

“The tragedies on school campuses that have occurred in recent years underline the need to ensure that schools and local law enforcement have the resources they need to protect our children while they are in the classroom.

“As a former teacher, working with Congress and the Trump Administration to ensure that all students can be educated in a safe, nourishing environment is a top priority for me, and I’m so pleased to see that the DOJ is awarding Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD and the North Richland Hills Police Department funding to help ensure school safety.

“While the start of this academic year may look a little different, now is the ideal time to ensure that our students will be protected from the threat of school violence when they make a full return to the classroom.

“As the top Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue working with President Trump, Governor Abbott, and local leaders to ensure school safety in our communities, including for more rural schools like those in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD.”

BACKGROUND

The Department of Justice’s COPS School Violence Prevention Program provides funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools and school grounds. School districts and law enforcement agencies are awarded funds to improve security at schools and advance evidence-based school safety programs. The awarded funds may be used for school safety measures like increased coordination with law enforcement, training of local law enforcement officers to help prevent student violence, technology for faster notification of local law enforcement during an emergency, and deterrent measures like metal detectors, locks, and lighting.