Skip to content
Printer-friendly version
Letter Head: Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Phone number 916-319-0800

January 4, 2008

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

SCHOOL SAFETY AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION FUNDS
SECTION 32228 ET SEQ. OF THE CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CODE

The purpose of this letter is to provide information and policy direction to local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive funding from the School Safety and Violence Prevention (SSVP) Act of 1999. This guidance is being provided at this time because the State of California is considering the institution of fiscal audits of the use of the SSVP funds. In order to help assure that LEAs are found to be in good standing by any audit, this letter explains legislative intent and the legal uses of these funds.

BACKGROUND
In spring of 1999, the State Legislature responded to the school shootings in Columbine, Colorado and other violent events by establishing a school safety entitlement through the SSVP Act. Each school district serving students in grades eight through twelve receives the greater of ten thousand, five thousand per school site, or approximately $35 per student enrolled in grades eight through twelve. County offices of education generally receive the per-site minimums. LEAs apply for the SSVP funds through the Consolidated Application. As of the 2007 Budget Act, the SSVP entitlement has grown to $100 million per year.

The Legislature enacted the SSVP program via sections 32228 et seq. of the California Education Code (EC). These code sections state that the legislative intent for the SSVP program is to provide supplemental resources to enable schools to:

  • Reduce incidents of violence at the schoolsite with an emphasis on prevention and early detection.
  • Teach pupils techniques for resolving conflicts without violence.
  • Train school staff and administrators to support and promote conflict resolution and mediation techniques for resolving conflicts between and among pupils.
  • Provide age-appropriate instruction in domestic violence prevention, dating violence prevention, and interpersonal violence prevention.
  • Combat bias on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation, and prevent and respond to acts of hate violence and bias related incidents.

Authorized Uses of School Safety and Violence Prevention Funds
The EC specifically authorizes the use of 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. I have enclosed a copy of Use of SSVP Act Funds with this letter which provides a more specific set of guidelines for the use of the funds.

Unauthorized Use of School Safety and Violence Prevention Funds
SSVP funds may not be used for any purpose not directly contributing to the prevention of school violence:

  • SSVP funds may not be used for safety measures such as safe playground equipment, earthquake and fire safety, pedestrian safety, replacing unsafe shop equipment, replacing mini-blinds, implementing sports programs, etc. These measures are not violence prevention.
  • 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.

CONCLUSION
SSVP Act funds can be a very valuable asset in your efforts to ensure that your students are safe and ready to learn. Use of the funds in accordance with EC requirements will ensure the effectiveness of your program and avoid the possibility of loss of funds due to audit findings.

We recommend that you share this letter and enclosure with fiscal staff and with staff charged with implementation of your school safety and other prevention programs.

If you have any questions, regarding this subject please contact Stephanie Papas, Consultant, Safe and Healthy Kids Program Office (SHKPO), at 916-445-8441 or by e-mail at spapas@cde.ca.gov, or Kelli Omoto-Lee, Analyst, SHKPO, at 916-319-0195 or by e-mail at komoto@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

[Original signed by]

JACK O’CONNELL

JO:sp
Enclosure

Download Free Readers