BUCKEYE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Pocahontas County School District has been awarded a $408,631 grant from the 2024 COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) to enhance security measures across its schools.
The funding aims to improve safety for students and staff through upgrades to access controls, door locks, and security cameras.
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The SVPP is a competitive grant program under the STOP School Violence Act, designed to improve security in schools nationwide.
In 2024, the program awarded a total of $73,022,696 across 203 grants, impacting nearly 1,300 schools and benefiting over 675,000 students.
The majority of funds—74%—were distributed to rural school districts.
With the grant, Pocahontas County schools will implement several security improvements, including new access controls for all school entries, rekeying of all doors, and upgrades to the camera systems.
“We are incredibly grateful to receive this generous grant from the COPS School Violence Prevention Program. This funding will allow us to significantly enhance the security measures across all our schools, creating a safer environment for our students and staff,” said Superintendent Lynne Roth Bostic.
“With these funds, and the $136,210 of matching funding from our district, we will be able to implement crucial steps in our ongoing commitment to school safety and violence prevention. We thank the COPS Office for their continued support and investment in the safety of our schools.”
School Safety Director Duane Gibson emphasized the importance of the planned security upgrades.
“The Pocahontas County School District is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students. This grant will substantially enhance our efforts to protect the well-being of our school community,” he said.
Gibson outlined three key areas of focus: replacing outdated access control systems to ensure consistency across all schools, rekeying all interior and exterior door locks with ADA-compliant hardware for improved security, and upgrading security cameras to maintain up-to-date surveillance technology.
For more information about the COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program, visit the COPS Office website or contact the COPS Office Response Center at AskCOPSRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770.
