Smithfield Public Schools was awarded a $454,063 COPS grant by the Department of Justice, matched with $113,516 of district capital funds. The grant will be used to improve security at school entrances as well as have a safety audit conducted for all six district schools.
The safety audit will be done during the last week of March. A consultant from Safe Havens International, a school safety organization helping school systems improve crisis preparedness and campus safety, will spend one full day in each of our schools.
During their visit, pictures will be taken in order to share findings with school officials. No pictures will be used for other purposes and pictures will be destroyed after their use. Teachers are asked to let students know the purpose of the audit to alleviate any concerns about this individual’s activities in the school.
In order to have a valid assessment of our facilities and practices, we are asking all staff to conduct activities as usual. Their recommendations are not meant to be punitive but will, instead, provide the district with goals for improving school safety in the future.