Camden schools get $740K federal grant to prevent violence

The Camden school district has received a $747,348 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to combat school violence.

In an announcement, the district said it received the funding from the STOP School Violence Program. The grant will be used to develop and implement threat assessment and intervention teams.

“We are very honored to receive this additional support to help prevent school violence and allow our staff and students to thrive,” Superintendent Katrina McCombs said in a statement. “In addition to implementing an evidence-based school safety plan, we will also have the opportunity to conduct safety assessments of schools and individuals determined to be a potential threat to themselves or others.”

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For the 2018-19 school year, the latest statistics available, the district had 160 incidents of violence, or roughly 2.7 incidents per 100 students enrolled, according to its New Jersey School Performance Report compiled by the state Department of Education.

The STOP School Violence Grant Program seeks to improve school security by providing students and staff with assistance to recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence.

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“This grant will allow my team and I to establish and enhance multidisciplinary teams that can proactively identify school violence threats and mitigate those risks before any threats can be acted upon,” said Terri Allen, the district’s Senior Director of School Safety. “By providing my staff with additional security measures, we can make our schools and community even safer.”

About 6,800 students are enrolled in Camden’s 18 traditional public schools; 3,850 attend renaissance schools and 4,350 attend charter schools in the city.