County and schools accept $468,743 COPS grant for school safety, county pledges $40,000 match
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Summary
Burke County authorized execution of COPS Office Stop School Violence grant documents for an award of $468,743 toward school and park safety projects. Total project cost is $624,991; the required 25% match is $156,248 (schools $116,248; county $40,000).
Burke County commissioners voted Nov. 17 to accept a competitive Stop School Violence grant from the U.S. COPS Office and authorized county staff to execute the grant documents.
Senior fiscal analyst Lindsay Stockman said the project bundle has a total cost of $624,991 and that the county will receive an award of $468,743, leaving a federal match requirement of 25 percent ($156,248). Stockman said Burke County Public Schools will provide $116,248 of the match while Burke County government will provide $40,000, which will not require an additional appropriation from the board’s current budget planning.
Planned uses described by staff include safety measures for schools — portable metal detectors, additional cameras and card‑access upgrades — and one county project to finish lighting at a Reap Park athletic field that currently remains unlit. Stockman said some projects will start at high schools and then proceed to other campuses until grant funds are exhausted during the three‑year funding period.
Commissioners asked whether the grant would create permanent positions; Stockman said the COPS grant award is specifically for school‑safety equipment and infrastructure and will not fund new county or school staff positions. The board then voted to execute the grant documents.
Because the award requires local match, the county and school system must track and report expenditures under the grant’s terms over the three‑year period. Stockman noted the COPS Office selection process is highly competitive, and she described the award as a selective opportunity to improve safety infrastructure without adding recurring payroll costs.
