Roundup for Safety awards community grants
The Roundup for Safety Board awarded $24,000 in community safety grants to nonprofit organizations at its July 14 meeting, including a $10,000 school safety study grant.
Funds for the study were requested by Kalispell Public Schools on behalf of its own schools and other schools in Columbia Falls, Whitefish, Evergreen, and surrounding rural communities.
Montana House District 7 Rep. Frank Garner spoke on behalf of the schools.
“Recent school violence events have made it clear that having a robust and updated school safety plan is critical in maintaining the health and safety of our kids and our education professionals,” he said. “As part of the constant process of assessing and improving school safety, several school districts in the Flathead are collaborating on a plan to engage top school safety consulting firm Secure Education Consults.”
SEC is set to examine facility vulnerabilities and provide recommendations on mitigations and improvements. The total estimated cost of the project is $60,000.
In awarding the $10,000 seed money request, the Roundup for Safety Board of Directors noted that an ad hoc citizen group has received commitments from several local businesses and community organizations to secure the additional $50,000. The board also noted the grant’s collaborative nature across local school districts and its potential impact on multiple local communities.
Garner informed the board that area schools host over 10,000 students and 1,000 staff daily, in addition to many thousands of community members annually, at their facilities for educational purposes and special events.
Other projects funded during the July meeting included:
Columbia Falls Firefighters – breathing apparatus cleaning machine – $10,000
Stillwater Christian School – fume hood – $4,000
Roundup for Safety is a voluntary program for Flathead Electric Cooperative members who allow their electric bills to be rounded up to the next dollar, with the extra money going into a fund for community safety projects proposed by nonprofit organizations and considered by an independent board.
To date in 2022, the Roundup for Safety Board has awarded $179,728 in community safety project funding. Grants are considered each month. Applications are accepted on Flathead Electric Co-op's website, and are due by the end of the month for consideration at the following month’s meeting. The Roundup for Safety Board next meets on Aug. 11.
For additional information about the program, visit www.flatheadelectric.com/roundup or call Courtney Stone at 406-751-1820.