The Elkhorn Area School District (EASD) is proud to share that on Friday, November 2, 2023, its students and staff were awarded a School Violence Prevention Program grant through the US Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) in the amount of $136,192. Of the 206 grant awards given to public school districts throughout the United States totaling $73,619,458, EASD was one of only eight applicants chosen in Wisconsin.
The program aims to improve security at schools and on school grounds by implementing evidence-based school safety programs and technology. EASD will use its grant award to upgrade its door control access system for school buildings district-wide and shade coverings to reduce visibility into select classrooms when needed. Funding will also cover a full independent district-wide comprehensive safety assessment of current equipment, operations, and emergency practices. This investment will reinforce the district’s partnerships with local law enforcement to provide students with a safe and supportive learning environment, as well as its community-driven efforts to provide access to facilities for civic and athletic organizations year-round.
Letters of support for the improvements were provided by both Chief Joel Christensen of the Elkhorn Police Department and Sheriff Dave Gerber of the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department, who oversee the law enforcement of the Elkhorn facilities.