County, schools pursue COPS STOP grant for lighting, cameras and metal detectors; county match $40,000

County grant staff told commissioners Nov. 3 that Burke County and Burke County Public Schools have applied for a federal STOP School Violence/COPS grant to fund school-safety upgrades. The project total listed in briefing materials is about $624,991. The proposed federal award is $468,743 and the required local match totals $156,248; county staff said the county's cash share is $40,000.

Lindsay Stockman, grant program manager, described the county portion as funds to install lighting at Reapark (Ridge Park) to illuminate one unlit baseball field used for youth sports. She said the schools intend to spend their match primarily on portable weapon metal detectors for athletic entries, upgraded cameras (including bus cameras) and badge/door-access equipment, prioritizing high schools first.

Stockman said the grant is competitive and the application process is rigorous. Commissioners asked whether the county match includes both cash and in-kind contributions; staff said the county's $40,000 would be cash and that the school system would cover the remainder from its capital reserves.

Commissioners discussed broader security priorities for the school system and ongoing efforts to seek other grants and funding opportunities. No final acceptance vote was recorded at the pre-agenda meeting; the grant remained on the decision agenda for the regular meeting.