Mississippi State Funding
State Funding
Mississippi supports school safety through state law, school-safety planning requirements, emergency preparedness standards, and programs designed to help districts improve security, crisis response, and violence prevention.
School Safety Grant Program
Mississippi Code §37-3-83 establishes a School Safety Grant Program within the State Department of Education. The program is available to eligible public school districts and is intended to help finance programs that improve school safety.
Subject to legislative appropriations, eligible uses may include:
- metal detectors;
- video surveillance cameras;
- communications and monitoring equipment for classrooms, school buildings, school grounds, and school buses;
- crisis management or action teams responding to school violence;
- violence prevention, conflict resolution, behavioral stress, and other approved training for faculty and staff;
- school safety personnel.
To participate, a local school board must apply to the Mississippi Department of Education and establish a local School Safety Task Force to involve the community in school-safety efforts. Funding availability depends on state appropriations.
Mississippi Alyssa’s Law Proposal
In 2025, Mississippi lawmakers considered SB2534, also known as Alyssa’s Law. The bill proposed requiring school districts to implement panic alert systems using wearable panic alert devices for school staff.
Under the proposal, the system would have needed to connect with local emergency response agencies, integrate with public safety answering point infrastructure, transmit 911 calls and mobile activations, and support a campus-wide lockdown notification.
The bill did not become law. SB2534 died in committee on February 4, 2025, so Mississippi schools should not treat it as a current statewide panic-alert requirement.
School Safety Alliance
Mississippi has also worked to strengthen coordination among education, homeland security, public safety, and other state partners through school-safety initiatives and advisory efforts.
These efforts focus on reviewing school-safety needs, student mental health, emergency preparedness, threat prevention, and the effectiveness of current laws and policies.
The goal is to help schools maintain safer learning environments through stronger planning, coordination, and support.
Mississippi School Safety Act of 2019
The Mississippi School Safety Act of 2019 strengthened emergency preparedness requirements for schools. Under Mississippi Code §37-11-5, schools must conduct an active shooter drill within the first 60 days of each new school semester for students, teachers, and staff.
Mississippi school-safety guidance identifies several acceptable active-shooter drill formats, including:
- lockdown or intruder shelter-in-place drills;
- tabletop exercises;
- full-scale operational response exercises.
The Mississippi School Safety Manual also notes that schools should designate family reunification points and evacuation locations, with maps to support emergency planning and response.
Division of School Safety
The Mississippi Department of Education’s Division of School Safety operates within the Office of Safe and Orderly Schools. Its role is to provide school-safety support, technical assistance, consulting services, and training for public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, law enforcement agencies, emergency responders, and community partners.
The division supports a comprehensive approach to school safety focused on prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery. Its work includes helping schools develop safety plans, improve emergency procedures, review campus security, and coordinate with local emergency partners.
Office of Safe and Orderly Schools
The Office of Safe and Orderly Schools provides guidance and resources to help Mississippi schools maintain safe, healthy, orderly, and disciplined learning environments.
The office’s school-safety materials emphasize the importance of community-wide partnerships involving school administrators, teachers, students, parents, law enforcement, emergency services, and other local partners.
The Mississippi School Safety Manual outlines roles and responsibilities for school leaders, teachers, students, school resource officers, and school safety officers. It also supports school safety planning, emergency procedures, site assessments, and the review of physical security measures such as locks, cameras, alarms, access points, and emergency communication procedures.
Mississippi School Safety Guardian Program
Mississippi has established a School Safety Guardian Program through the Office of Homeland Security within the Department of Public Safety. Participation is optional for schools.
Under the program, a school governing body may designate eligible employees to complete required training and serve as school safety guardians. The program is intended to support response to active shooter situations or other incidents that could cause death or serious bodily harm on or near school property.
Training requirements include items such as a criminal background check, psychological screening, shooting proficiency testing, CPR and First Aid certification, and annual recertification.
The funding information and links provided on this page are based on publicly available information at the time of publication. While we make every effort to keep this resource current and relevant, funding programs, eligibility requirements, deadlines, and website links may change over time. If you discover outdated information, inaccurate content, or a broken link, please let us know by emailing info@carehawk.com.