As is stated in the enclosed letter, the Education Code (EC) sections 32228 et seq. specifically authorizes the use of School Safety and Violence Prevention (SSVP) funding for any purpose that materially contributes to the prevention of school violence, including the funding of staff time while the staff are engaged in violence prevention activities, purchase of and implementation of violence prevention curricula, hiring of sworn law enforcement staff, purchase of communication devices and other school safety infrastructure needs, and in-service training to deal with pupils at-risk of violent behaviors. The following excerpts from the instructions for the Consolidated Application reporting page for SSVP contain more specific examples of allowable and unallowable use of funds.
Personnel: Staff time may be charged to these funds for those hours during which the staff person is performing violence prevention activities. These activities include teaching conflict resolution or other violence prevention curricula, counseling students regarding violence, and implementing a specific violence prevention program. Law enforcement personnel may be funded with SSVP monies, so long as the law enforcement personnel are sworn peace officers (Section 32228.1[b][1] of the EC).
SSVP funds may not be used to fully fund staff for whom violence prevention is only part of the job duties. Only that portion of staff time that is spent performing violence prevention activities may be funded.
Communication devices: Allowable expenses in this category include, but are not limited to, cell phones, intercoms, or other devices for providing effective and accessible on-campus communication, when needed primarily for violence prevention.
School safety infrastructure: Allowable expenses in this category include building modifications such as surveillance equipment, or identification systems when needed for violence prevention.
SSVP funds may not be used for safety measures such as safe playground equipment, earthquake and fire safety, pedestrian safety, replacing unsafe shop equipment, etc. These measures are not violence prevention.
Staff training: SSVP funds may be used to support the training of school staff in crisis response and in the implementation of violence prevention programs and curricula. Further, EC Section 32228.1(b)(3) encourages in-service training for school staff to learn to identify students at-risk of violent behavior, to communicate effectively with those students, and to refer those students to appropriate counseling.
Instructional curricula and materials: Purchase of violence prevention instructional materials and curricula is an authorized use of SSVP funds. LEAs are encouraged to use science-based programs and research-based strategies for preventing violence.