Congresswoman Kelly Announces School Violence Prevention Grants for Kankakee County Schools

Statement

Congresswoman Robin Kelly today announced that Kankakee County was awarded a $244,382 federal grant to fund violence prevention programs at Kankakee School District 111 and other county schools. The grant includes mental health crisis intervention and suicide prevention strategies.

"Tragically, our schools are not safe from gun violence. Since the Senate Majority Leader refuses to act on bipartisan, common-sense gun safety reform, we must undertake efforts to protect our children and schools," said Congresswoman Kelly, vice chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. "These funds will improve school security and support at-risk students through evidence-based strategies and programs. These funds are critical to ensuring public safety, especially as broadly supported gun safety legislation such as background checks on every gun sale, languishes in the GOP-controlled Senate."

The funding was authorized under the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act enacted by Congress in 2018. The Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to manage a school violence prevention and reduction grant program that supports states, local governments and federally recognized Native American tribes.

The grant funds will be used to develop and/or improve school safety projects, such as enhancing school threat assessment efforts and implementing technological solutions that improve reporting of suspicious activity in and around schools.

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