Use Federal & State Grants to Protect Your School Campus 

It has become clear that, in partnership with the local authorities, schools must take an active role in the security of students and staff. While some schools have a resource officer, one person can only cover so much ground.  They cannot do it alone. 

Fortunately, there are state and federal grants in place that allow all schools to upgrade not only their security equipment and safety measures but also their mental health prioritization and social media scanning. Iowa specifically offers funds that can be used toward security solutions such as HD security cameras, live video monitoring (aka intelligent video monitoring), access control systems, and panic buttons. There are also opportunities for physical security measures such as security guards and mobile patrol units. 

Iowa schools have until September 1, 2024, to submit a notice of interest to receive funding. All work must be completed and reimbursement submitted no later than December 31, 2025.  According to Governor Reynolds’s press release, “This dedicated new funding will provide vulnerability risk assessments free of charge for all 1,500 K-12 school buildings in the state and create a School Safety Improvement Fund making up to $50,000 available per school building to implement recommended safety measures. School districts can combine these funds with their ESSER funding allocations to cover additional costs to implement safety improvements.”

As you know, Per Mar has been headquartered in Davenport, Iowa since its inception in 1953. Today we have 25 branches across the Midwest. Throughout Iowa, we have branch locations in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Quad Cities, Sioux City, Burlington, and Fort Dodge. Our security consultants are adept at working with grants and can help your school administrators sort through all the details!  

Contact us now to discuss school security options.

“We must be persistent in our efforts to keep students and those who care for them safe from violence,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo. “Our schools provide a reassuring presence and much-needed connection for our families, our communities, and for our students to learn and grow. With this additional funding, we can build on our strong foundation and help ensure our schools continue to be physically, emotionally, and academically safe places of learning.” 

Leading by example for campus security is Palmer College of Chiropractic, the first and largest chiropractic college. They are protecting approximately 1,000 students and 200 employees on a daily basis and leave nothing to chance. Other than the campus clinic and welcome center from 7 am until 5 pm, all doors are locked and accessible only via an access control key card. They have created a safe space for all involved in the campus while lowering their security costs by roughly half. They integrated their physical security measures with advanced electronic security systems to accomplish massive savings across their growing campus. 

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Be proactive about your campus protection and take advantage of government funding, you can find local funding at https://www.schoolsafety.gov/. Contact us if you’re not sure where to start!