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Council approves letter of support for Nome schools' $500,000 DOJ safety grant application
Summary
The council voted to provide a letter of support for the school district’s application for a U.S. Department of Justice School Violence Prevention Program grant (maximum $500,000). Superintendent Burgess asked only for a letter; any city match (discussed around $150,000) would be determined later if the grant is awarded.
The Nome Common Council unanimously approved drafting a letter of support for the Nome School District’s application to a Department of Justice school‑safety grant program that allows up to $500,000 in award funding.
Superintendent Burgess (introduced at the meeting as the district superintendent) outlined the district’s reasoning, saying the grant would fund school security upgrades including electronic door access and other measures. She told the council the program requires a 25% match but that a letter of support does not obligate the city to provide that match. “All I’m asking for at this point in time is the letter of support,” Burgess said.
Burgess and district staff said they were seeking the maximum $500,000 award (and would scale the work if awarded less). She said the district is exploring a variety of funding sources to meet any required match and that some local bond or reserve funds could be used; finance staff confirmed the district has previously budgeted toward school security and could identify funds if needed. The council voted to approve the letter of support; members emphasized they were not committing to the $150,000 match at this time and requested updates on exact match needs if the grant is awarded.
