Stronger Connections Grant Program

Introduction

On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), an important first step toward reducing the risk of gun violence in our schools and communities. Through this legislation, Congress authorized $1 billion in formula funding under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to State educational agencies (SEAs) to provide students with safer and healthier learning environments. Under the BSCA, SEAs must award these funds competitively to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) to fund activities allowable under section 4108 of the ESEA. The purpose of the funding is to improve student health and safety through measurable outcomes.

The New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED) prioritizes that each student learns in a safe and healthy school environment.   NHED was allocated $4,833,025.00 under the BSCA Stronger Connections grant program,  $4,591,373.75 (95%) of which will be available through a competitive grant process to LEAs experiencing high needs.  NHED will retain $241,651.25 (5%) for administration, data collection and reporting, and technical support purposes.

NHED defines high need as an LEA experiencing two or more of the following factors:

• High concentrations of poverty (at least 40 percent)
• Students experiencing housing instability and homelessness
• Students in foster care
• High rate of chronic absenteeism
• Referrals to alternative education placements
• Community and school violence
• Substance misuse

The NHED definition of "high need LEA" was open for public comment between 3/31/2023 and 4/14/2023.

Competitive Process

Eligibility

1. Must be for a public or public charter Local education agency (LEA)—applications must be submitted for each public or public chartered LEA that is applying. LEAs must have approval from the local education agency (LEA) Superintendent or Charter School Administrator prior to application submission.
2. The LEA must meet the state criteria for high need – applications must include information that supports how the school is experiencing two or more of the following factors:

• High concentrations of poverty (at least 40 percent)
• Students experiencing housing instability and homelessness
• Students in foster care
• High rate of chronic absenteeism
• Referrals to alternative education placements
• Community and school violence
• Substance misuse.

Use of Funds

For a use of funds to be permitted, the grantee must ensure the activity is allowable under Stronger Connections:

1. authorized under section 4108 of the ESEA;
2. reasonable and necessary for the performance of the grant;
3. allocable to the grant;
4. supplements, and does not supplant, other non-Federal funds that would otherwise be used to pay for authorized activities;
5. not one of the prohibited activities in ESEA section 4001(b) or section 8526; and
6. consistent with any other applicable Uniform Guidance provisions (see 2 CFR 200 et seq., in particular 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E). For an LEA, use of funds must also be consistent with the design of the SEA’s Stronger Connections grant program and the LEA’s approved subgrant application.
7. For the cost of installation of security equipment to be considered allowable, the installation must constitute minor remodeling under 34 CFR 77.1 and not require construction, renovation, or repair, which is a prohibited use of Stronger Connections funds. Minor remodeling means minor alterations in a previously completed building and does not include building construction, structural alterations to buildings, building maintenance, or repairs.

Priority Areas

School Preparedness

For K-12 public schools throughout New Hampshire, school preparedness is strengthened by activities in the five preparedness mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. Application must include activities that meet one or more of these competitive priority areas.

• Prevention is the action schools and school districts take to prevent a threatened or actual incident from occurring.
• Protection is the ongoing actions schools and school districts take to safeguard the school, students, and staff from an emergency event.
• Mitigation focuses on actions schools and school districts take to eliminate or reduce the loss of life, injuries, and property damage from an emergency event.
• Response is putting the school’s and school district’s plans into place to effectively respond to an emergency event and provide for the immediate needs of students and staff.
• Recovery is teaming with community partners to restore educational programming; the physical environment; business operations; and social, emotional, and behavioral health.

Allowable Categories

Applications must focus on at least one of these three priority areas for funding.

• Access control activities involve actively engaging/controlling the flow of people into the school facility. This is a physical security capability that all schools should have. Access control protects against unauthorized persons gaining access to facilities. Access Control involves some level of interaction with school staff that will make determinations about entry/denial. Access control should be layered throughout the building as it will act as an obstacle towards threat progression. Examples include electronic access systems, fencing, interior door locks, or reinforced glass at ground level. School Readiness Program (NH HSEM)
• Emergency alerting activities involve abilities to communicate within the school using redundant systems. Leadership should be able to communicate directions from many locations within the school. Subordinate locations within the building must be able to communicate with leadership as well. The school must have redundant capabilities to make emergency calls for help to off-site emergency organizations and inform the public with official information. Multifunctional alarm system information can be found here.
• Surveillance activities involve physical security capabilities that all schools should have. The ability to view surroundings both internally and externally is a key element in early warning and defensive posturing. Surveillance cameras that are visible to the public mitigate the concept of anonymity and increase transparency in and around the school facility. Key leadership and certain administrative personnel should engage in and have routine access and exposure to surveillance monitoring as needed for security purposes. Surveillance monitoring should be located in areas of the school that have the ability to restrict access but not so restrictive that monitoring becomes difficult to access by authorized personnel during emergencies. Click here for more information.  If an LEA chooses to use a video system, it should have a clearly established policy on the use of video systems on school property. The LEA has a responsibility not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or other protected classes when conducting surveillance and other security or safety activities using video systems. Certain security and telecommunication systems are prohibited by 2 CFR 200.216. Please refer to this link for details.

The New Hampshire Department of Education (NHED) will issue competitive grants to NH public and public charter schools to support safe learning environments. Research consistently shows that safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments are associated with improved academic achievement and emotional well-being of students, as well as with reductions in disciplinary actions. The maximum amount for each school is $100,000. There is no minimum amount.

Released Date: June 15, 2023

The RFA for this grant can be found on our grant opportunity page here.  

Due Date: Friday, August 11, 2023, 4:00 PM  Applications received past the due date will be contingent upon the availability of funds. Priority will be given to those applications received by the deadline.

Applications Closed:  August 17, 2023

Awards Announced: September 19, 2023.  The NH Stronger Connections grants were awarded to twenty-one LEAs, for the combined amount of $4,591,373.75.

2023-2024 Stronger Connections Grant Award Allocations

RFA Overview (Application and Templates linked within)

Stronger Connections Grant Application

Application Template

Budget Template

Stronger Connections Equitable Service Affirmation

Stronger Connections Equitable Service Affirmation

Stronger Connections Equitable Services Calculator

Stronger Connections Equitable Service Guidance

School Readiness Program - School Safety Resources (August 2022)

Grant Contact: Stan Freeda, Title IV, Part A Program Coordinator, Stanley.J.Freeda@doe.nh.gov 

For more information on this federal grant program, view the Stronger Connections Grant Program Frequently asked Questions.