North Carolina State Funding
State Funding
North Carolina supports school safety through competitive grant funding, statewide planning, training, and resources coordinated by the North Carolina Center for Safer Schools.
School Safety Grant Program
The School Safety Grant Program is a competitive grant program administered through the North Carolina Center for Safer Schools.
The program helps public school units improve campus safety, emergency preparedness, student support, and school security.
Funding may support school resource officers, services for students in crisis, safety-related training, school safety equipment, and other eligible school-safety needs.
North Carolina awarded $35 million in school safety grants in early 2024 to 230 school districts and charter schools. The funds were intended for safety equipment, training, and services for students in crisis.
Eligible safety equipment may include items such as:
- communication devices;
- safety software upgrades;
- cameras;
- vape detectors;
- badge readers;
- keyless entry systems;
- remote door openers;
- weapons detection systems;
- other approved safety technologies.
Future funding depends on state budget appropriations and current grant guidance from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
State Action Plan for School Safety
North Carolina’s State Action Plan for School Safety is a five-year plan covering 2021 through 2026. The plan was endorsed by the North Carolina Task Force for Safer Schools and is designed to coordinate school-safety efforts across state government, local communities, and schools.
The plan promotes a proactive and shared approach to school safety. It encourages schools and districts to strengthen safety planning, improve prevention strategies, support positive school climates, and use data to guide safety decisions.
The plan also emphasizes coordination among schools, families, law enforcement, public safety agencies, mental-health professionals, and community partners.
North Carolina Center for Safer Schools
The North Carolina Center for Safer Schools supports K–12 schools with resources, training, technical assistance, and school-safety guidance.
The center’s work includes school safety grants, school risk management planning, behavioral threat assessment, student engagement, mental-health-related training, and emergency preparedness support.
Its goal is to help schools create safer learning environments by combining physical security, prevention, student support, training, and coordinated response planning.
School Safety Training and Student Support
North Carolina’s school-safety approach includes more than physical security. State resources also support training and services that help schools respond to students experiencing anxiety, trauma, behavioral concerns, or crisis situations.
Training and support may include:
- school risk management planning;
- behavioral threat assessment and management;
- youth mental-health training;
- active assailant response training;
- bullying prevention;
- student engagement programs;
- coordination with school resource officers and first responders.
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.