Three school districts in Southwest Louisiana have received over $500,000 to increase security in their schools.

Calcasieu Parish School Board, Jefferson Davis Parish Schools and Vernon Parish School Board have each been allocated $518,355 from the Louisiana Department of Education’s Louisiana Stronger Connections grant program

The program, which granted a total of $20,215,845 that was distributed evenly to 39 traditional public and public charter systems in Louisiana, was approved by Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) earlier this month.

“The Stronger Connections Grant program provides direct assistance to school systems to make K-12 campuses more secure,” said Holly Boffy, BESE President, in a release. “Now more than ever, systems must meet the challenge of reinforcing the security of their facilities, and the state’s allocation of federal dollars to strengthen school perimeters is a key piece of the solution to ensure a safe and secure environment for our students and school employees.”

The funding originated from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) that was signed into law last year, June 2022.

This federal legislation focuses on funding improvements to the mental health system, school safety programs and gun control laws, providing $1 billion for states to award competitive subgrants to high-need school systems.

BSCA also funds the School-Based Mental Health and the Mental Health Service Professional grant programs for $1 billion and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program for $50 million.

Louisiana received a one-time award of $21,279,385 from the legislation, expiring in 2025.

To be considered for the funding, local educational agencies (LEA) had to apply. To qualify, the LEAs had to be high-need –  poverty percentage of 50 percent or greater and a chronic absenteeism rate greater than the 2021-2022  state average of 19.4% or significantly impacted by a natural disaster or traumatic event within the last 3 years.

CPSB Superintendent Shannon LaFargue said that applying for the Louisiana Stronger Connections grant was an action that aligned with the district’s current security goals. “We have been aggressively pursuing security measures for our schools for months now. The Stronger Connections grant was an opportunity to secure additional funding for our security initiatives.”

The over $500,000 will be used to harden CPSB school exteriors with weapons detectors, shatterproof window film on priority areas, radios for communication enhancement, wands for weapon detection and logistical fencing.

High schools will also have weapons detectors at entry points.

These upgrades are being implemented to strengthen schools’ access control, or controlled point of entry where security measures are amplified. All schools – elementary, middle and high -will have a varied number of controlled points of entry, depending on the size and layout of the school.

These upgrades will be implemented on all campuses and as soon as possible, LaFargue said. “The school year is around the corner so there is a sense of urgency for us,” he said. “The safety and security of all of our students and staff is a top priority for us, regardless of their home school.”

CPSB is not stopping there. In addition to the Stronger Connections Grant, they have applied to the federal Community-Oriented Policing (COP) grant – an established fund that provides assistance with the development of school safety resources.

Additionally, CPSB will be continuing contract services with Stratigos Dynamics, which provides school resource officers for CPSB schools, after a successful pilot program.  LaFargue told the American Press that in some municipalities, local law enforcement agencies are also requesting to provide officers. “Every school will have an armed guard or officer,” he said. “We must do everything we can to protect our students, faculty and staff.”

CPSB is currently discussing installing enhanced camera systems and logistical vestibules, as well as increasing training and utilizing software that is focused on collection, reporting and documentation.

Families are encouraged to join the increased school safety efforts by keeping schools and law enforcement informed of important situations or circumstances “no matter how unsure they may be about the legitimacy of what they have seen or heard,” he said.

“Our students, faculty and staff will be safer if we join together in their endeavor.”