Hazelwood School District Keeps Up with Safe Schools Program

Despite the end of a Safe Schools Healthy Student grant at the end of the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the Hazelwood School District has found a way to continue the program at low costs.

The school district will continue to implement the program’s standards for more than $63,000 in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, compared to the $6 million grant distributed throughout four years.

The grant was first given to the school district in 2008 for four years and was the sole district in the state of Missouri to receive the grant. The grant focuses on five premises, including:

• Safe school environments and violence prevention activities

• Alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention activities

Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Julia Burke Thorpe presented the program adjustments for its sustainability. She said that in working with several of the program’s community partners, such as BJC Behavioral Health Services, Family Court of St. Louis County and area police departments, a number of initiatives will remain at no cost to the district.

The biggest costs of the program stem from AIMSweb for Academics and Nonviolence Crisis Intervention, which each will cost $20,000. AIMSweb works on helping to train administrators and staff on identifying and help those children that might be labeled at-risk, according to the AIMSweb website.

The Scholastic Reading inventory will also cost more than $16,000.

The board approved the expenses at its June board of education meeting under the 2013-2014 budget.