Colquitt County School District (CCSD) is the recipient of a Safer Georgia Schools Grant totaling $250,000. According to the grant application process, the grant is intended to support the health and safety of students in Georgia through programs, activities, equipment, and supplies to improve infrastructure, professional development, and personnel. The funds are provided under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
School Safety is one of the three district priorities, along with academic rigor and customer service. The grant funds supplement two safety programs that are essential in providing a safe and secure environment for all students and employees of the district. The school district partners with the Colquitt County Sheriff's Office to provide eleven School Resource Officers (SROs) across all school locations. "This grant will allow us to ensure that our schools will have the resources to continue providing top-notch safety," shared Colquitt County Sheriff Rod Howell.
In addition, the district uses the Centegix Crisis Alert system. Each district employee uses this real-time emergency alert system in all locations. Employees can quickly request help for emergencies using a wearable badge that they carry with them. Their alert triggers a floor and room-specific location for the emergency response teams. In some situations, visual strobes, digital messages, and automated intercom announcements are activated to alert everyone in the building of a campus-wide incident and what actions to take.
The district has partnered closely with the Moultrie Police Department and the Sheriff's Office to prepare for emergencies and evaluate ways to make all our schools safer. Each law enforcement agency has access to and is part of the Centegix Crisis Alert System and also has emergency access to school cameras in the event of a crisis. In a support letter, Moultrie Police Chief Sean Ladson shared, "The Safer Georgia Schools Grant will allow the district to continue what they have started and provide the means to meet goals in providing the safest schools possible."
The Safer Georgia School Grant will supplement each program's cost, enabling the district to continue seeking additional ways to enhance school safety.