New Jersey Department of Education

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – Stronger Connections Grant

Allowable Uses of Funds for LEAs

Activities to support safe and healthy students (ESEA section 4108 )

Applicants awarded funding under this opportunity must use a funds to develop, implement,and evaluate comprehensive programs and activities that:

  1. are coordinated with other schools and community-based services and programs;
  2. foster safe, healthy, supportive, and drug-free environments that support studentacademic achievement;
  3. promote the involvement of parents in the activity or program;
  4. may be conducted in partnership with an institution of higher education, business,nonprofit organization, community-based organization, or other public or private entitywith a demonstrated record of success in implementing activities described in thissection; and
  5. may include, among other programs and activities—
    1. drug and violence prevention activities and programs that are evidence-based (tothe extent the State, in consultation with local educational agencies in the State,determines that such evidence is reasonably available) including—
      1. programs to educate students against the use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana,smokeless tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes; and
      2. professional development and training for school and specializedinstructional support personnel and interested community members inprevention, education, early identification, intervention mentoring, recoverysupport services and, where appropriate, rehabilitation referral, as related todrug and violence prevention:
    2. in accordance with sections 7101 and 7121 of this title—
      1. school-based mental health services, including early identification of mentalhealth symptoms, drug use, and violence, and appropriate referrals to directindividual or group counseling services, which may be provided by schoolbased mental health services providers; and
      2. school-based mental health services partnership programs that—
        1. are conducted in partnership with a public or private mental healthentity or health care entity; and
        2. provide comprehensive school-based mental health services andsupports and staff development for school and community personnelworking in the school that are—
          1. based on trauma-informed practices that are evidence-based (to theextent the State, in consultation with local educational agencies inthe State, determines that such evidence is reasonably available);
          2. coordinated (where appropriate) with early intervening servicesprovided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20U.S.C. 1400 et seq.); and
          3. provided by qualified mental and behavioral health professionalswho are certified or licensed by the State involved and practicingwithin their area of expertise;
    3. programs or activities that—
      1. integrate health and safety practices into school or athletic programs;
      2. support a healthy, active lifestyle, including nutritional education andregular, structured physical education activities and programs, that mayaddress chronic disease management with instruction led by school nurses,nurse practitioners, or other appropriate specialists or professionals to helpmaintain the well-being of students;
      3. help prevent bullying and harassment;
      4. improve instructional practices for developing relationship-building skills,such as effective communication, and improve safety through therecognition and prevention of coercion, violence, or abuse, including teenand dating violence, stalking, domestic abuse, and sexual violence andharassment;
      5. provide mentoring and school counseling to all students, including childrenwho are at risk of academic failure, dropping out of school, involvement incriminal or delinquent activities, or drug use and abuse;
      6. establish or improve school dropout and re-entry programs; orvii. establish learning environments and enhance students' effective learningskills that are essential for school readiness and academic success, such as byproviding integrated systems of student and family supports;
    4. high-quality training for school personnel, including specialized instructionalsupport personnel, related to—
      1. suicide prevention;
      2. effective and trauma-informed practices in classroom management;
      3. crisis management and conflict resolution techniques;
      4. human trafficking (defined, for purposes of this subparagraph, as an act orpractice described in paragraph (9) or (10) 1 of section 7102 of title 22);
      5. school-based violence prevention strategies;
      6. drug abuse prevention, including educating children facing substance abuseat home; and
      7. bullying and harassment prevention;
    5. in accordance with sections 7101 and 7121 of this title, child sexual abuseawareness and prevention programs or activities, such as programs or activitiesdesigned to provide—
      1. age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate instruction for students inchild sexual abuse awareness and prevention, including how to recognizechild sexual abuse and how to safely report child sexual abuse; and
      2. information to parents and guardians of students about child sexual abuseawareness and prevention, including how to recognize child sexual abuse andhow to discuss child sexual abuse with a child;
    6. designing and implementing a locally-tailored plan to reduce exclusionarydiscipline practices in elementary and secondary schools that—
      1. is consistent with best practices;
      2. includes strategies that are evidence-based (to the extent the State, inconsultation with local educational agencies in the State, determines thatsuch evidence is reasonably available); and
      3. is aligned with the long-term goal of prison reduction through opportunities,mentoring, intervention, support, and other education services, referred toas a "youth PROMISE plan"; or
    7. implementation of schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports,including through coordination with similar activities carried out under theIndividuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), in order toimprove academic outcomes and school conditions for student learning;
    8. designating a site resource coordinator at a school or local educational agency toprovide a variety of services, such as—
      1. establishing partnerships within the community to provide resources andsupport for schools;
      2. ensuring that all service and community partners are aligned with theacademic expectations of a community school in order to improve studentsuccess; and
      3. strengthening relationships between schools and communities; or
    9. pay for success initiatives aligned with the purposes of this section.

Equitable Services

LEAs will ensure that SCG funds provide equitable services to students, teachers, and/or parents/families in nonpublic schools as required under ESEA section 8501 et seq.

Period of Grant Funding

Start Period: Funds may be used for allowable costs incurred on or after September 1, 2023. Obligated through September 30, 2025.

Supplement not Supplant

The LEA receiving SCG funds shall follow the supplement not supplant requirement in ESEA section 4110.

Maintenance of Effort

The LEA receiving SCG funds shall follow the maintenance of effort requirement in ESEA section 8521.

Reporting

LEAs will be required to provide reports to the NJDOE documenting the amount of SCG funds spent. Due dates for these reports will be outlined in the EWEG system. In addition, LEAs will be subject to applicable monitoring processes on the uses of SCG funds.

Assurances

By drawing down funds awarded under this Grant Award Notification, the Local Educational Agency (LEA) assures the following:

  1. The LEA will ensure SCG funds are utilized for activities allowable under section 4108 of the ESEA.
  2. The LEA will ensure SCG funds are not utilized for the provision to any person of a dangerous weapon1 or training in the use of a dangerous weapon as prohibited under Section 13401 of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which amends section 8526 of
    the ESEA.
  3. The LEA will ensure that SCG funds provide equitable services to students, teachers, and/or parents/families in nonpublic schools as required under section 8501 of the ESEA.
  4. The LEA will maintain control of SCG funds for the provision of services and assistance to a nonpublic school with such funds:
    1. The LEA will maintain title to materials, equipment, and property purchased with SCG funds; and
  5. The LEA will ensure that equitable services provided with SCG funds are secular, neutral, and nonideological. The LEA receiving SCG funds shall follow the supplement not supplant requirements in section 4110 of the ESEA.
  6. The LEA will track the SCG funds separately from its regular allocation under Title IV, Part A of the ESEA.
  7. The LEA will ensure that upon award of SCG funds, the LEA will participate, as requested, in any New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) evaluation of the LEA’s SCG program and will cooperate with any audit or examination of records with respect to such funds.

Page Last Updated: 03/02/2023

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