$27 Million in Readiness and Emergency Management Grants Awarded to 32 States

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced today the award of more than $27 million in grants to 91 school districts in 32 states to help them enhance and fortify their readiness and emergency response management plans.

“Providing a safe learning environment for children is one of our most important duties as educators,” Spellings said. “These grants will support that effort by helping more school districts strengthen their crisis planning and better coordinate with the entire community to ensure the safety of our schools and students.”

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) discretionary grant program provides funds for local education agencies (LEAs or school districts) to improve and strengthen their emergency management plans. The program also enables school districts to develop improved plans that address all four phases of emergency management: Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. School districts also must commit to developing written plans that are coordinated with state Homeland Security plans, support the implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and are designed to prepare for a possible infectious disease outbreak, such as influenza pandemic.

Funds also can be used to train school personnel and students in emergency management; communicate emergency management policies and reunification procedures to parents and guardians; coordinate with local emergency responders, including fire and police; purchase equipment; and coordinate with groups and organizations responsible for recovery issues, such as health and mental health agencies.

As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, local school districts must provide assurances that they have plans that outline how they are working to keep their schools safe and drug free.
The grants are housed within the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, which supports efforts to create safe schools, respond to crises, prevent drug and alcohol abuse, ensure the health and well being of students, and teach students good citizenship and character. The office also coordinates the Department’s efforts in these areas with other federal agencies.

A complete list of the 91 grant awards follows:

ALASKA

Nome Public Schools
Nome, AK
John Wehde, project director
$167,846

ARIZONA

Santa Cruz Regional School District
Nogles, AZ
Alfredo Velasquez, project director
$360,120

New Century Educational Management
Phoenix, AZ
Richard Hay, project director
$238,172

Washington Elementary School District
Glendale, AZ
Pam Horton, project director
$193,385

Deer Valley Unified School District
Phoenix, AZ
Debra Webb, project director
$247,466

Gilbert Public Schools
Gilbert, AZ
Bruce Harvey, project director
$247,120

Marana Unified School District
Marana, AZ
Jan Truitt, project director
$95,530

Maricopa Unified School District #20
Maricopa, AZ
Heidi Fawcett, project director
$160,806

ARKANSAS

Monticello School District #18
Monticello, AR
Katrina Cavaness, project director
$85,211

Hoxie School District #46
Hoxie, AR
Suzanne Allen, project director
$124,111

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles, CA
Bob Spears, project director
$485,870

San Lorenzo Unified School District
San Lorenzo, CA
Larry Maniscalco, project director
$242,801

Lawndale Elementary School District
Lawndale, CA
John Vincke, project director
$258,691

CALS Early College High School
Los Angeles, CA
Darryl Adams, project director
$252,319

Irvine Unified School District
Irvine, CA
Yvonne Dina, project director
$244,009

New Haven Unified School District
Union City, CA
Janice Chin, project director
$93,891

Riverside County Superintendent of Schools
Riverside, CA
Mike D’Amico, project director
$498,346

Hemet Unified School District
Hemet, CA
Judy Miller, project director
$247,245

Carlsbad Unified School District
Carlsbad, CA
Keith Holley, project director
$194,146

Sutter County Superintendent of Schools
Yuba City, CA
Graciela Espindola, project director
$246,505

COLORADO
Aurora Public Schools
Aurora, CO
Trudy Wicks, project director
$207,597

St. Vrain Valley School District RE-1J
Longmont, CO
Lynn Wolf, project director
$508,073

Wiggins School District
Wiggins, CO
Jacques Weimer, project director
$78,650

Falcon School District #49
Falcon, CO
Jay Hahn, project director
$268,082

FLORIDA

Panhandle Area Educational Consortium
Chipley, FL
Patrick McDaniel, project director
$499,011

School Board Orange County
Orlando, FL
Joe Mastandrea, project director
$480,145

Martin County School District
Stuart, FL
Linda King, project director
$249,190

IDAHO

Lapwai School District #341
Lapwai, ID
Harold Ott, project director
$139,216

ILLINOIS

Bloom Township High School District #206
Chicago Heights, IL
Mark Sheahan, project director
$504,685

Winnebago County Unit School District #323
Winnebago, IL
Dennis Harezlak, project director
$99,880

West Chicago Elementary School District #33
West Chicago, IL
Marjory Lewe-Brady, project director
$98,983

Harlem School District
Machesney Park, IL
Scott Horsch, project director
$247,450

Chicago Public Schools District #299
Chicago, IL
Andres Durbak, project director
$927,370

INDIANA

Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools
Jasper, IN
Donna Hopkins, project director
$104,046

LOUISIANA

Terrebonne Parish School District
Houma, LA
Suzanne Carlos, project director
$248,981

St. Tammany Parish School Board
Covington, LA
Jim Suitt, project director
$542,176

St. Bernard Parish Schools
Chalmette, LA
Beverly Lawrason, project director
$326,911

MASSACHUSETTS

North River Collaborative
Rockland, MA
Joanne Sullivan, project director
$249,388

Reading Public Schools
Reading, MA
John Doherty, project director
$98,650

MICHIGAN

West Bloomfield School District
West Bloomfield, MI
Neil Currie, project director
$569,638

School District of the City of Pontiac
Pontiac, MI
George Phifer, project director
$234,359

Kalamazoo RESA Instructional Center
Kalamazoo, MI
John Haas, project director
$483,402

Berkley Public School District
Oak Park, MI
Nancy Campbell, project director
$243,733

Ann Arbor Public Schools
Ann Arbor, MI
Henry Caudle, project director
$244,624

MISSISSIPPI

Winona Public School District
Winona, MS
Marsha Cummings, project director
$100,200

Jackson Public School District
Jackson, MS
Michael Thomas, project director
$463,805

MISSOURI

Webb City R-7 School District
Webb City, MO
Ron Lankford, project director
$461,664

MONTANA

Twin Bridges Public Schools
Twin Bridges, MT
David Whitesell, project director
$97,720

NEBRASKA

Douglas County School District #0001
Omaha, NE
Roddie Miller, project director
$681,115

NEVADA

Clark County School District
Las Vegas, NV
William Miller, project director
$773,503

NEW JERSEY

Denville Township School District
Denville, NJ
Drucilla Clark, project director
$99,866

Passaic County Technical Institute
Wayne, NJ
Albert Pecora, project director
$98,761

Jersey City Public Schools
Jersey City, NJ
Francis Dooley, project director
$249,000

Moorestown
Moorestown, NJ
Gregory McCarty, project director
$99,000

South Orange & Maplewood Board of Education
Maplewood, NJ
William Kyle, project director
$99,669

NEW YORK

Oswego County BOCES
Mexico, NY
Michael Sterio, project director
$99,000

NORTH CAROLINA

Lee County Schools
Sanford, NC
Andrew Bryan, project director
$98,460

OHIO

Cincinnati Public Schools
Cincinnati, OH
Thomas Gunnell, project director
$485,266

Lancaster City School District
Lancaster, OH
Jack Stiers, project director
$100,000

OKLAHOMA

Coweta Public Schools
Coweta, OK
Sean McDaniel, project director
$98,002

Morrison School District
Morrison, OK
Janice Davis, project director
$96,358

Wagoner Public School District
Wagoner, OK
Cora Fletcher, project director
$91,781

Agra Public Schools
Agra, OK
Wes McFarland, project director
$91,435

OREGON

Hillsboro School District 1J
Hillsboro, OR
Liza Andrew-Miller, project director
$740,426

PENNSYLVANIA

Universal Companies
Philadelphia, PA
Janice Butler, project director
$300,000

Montour School District
McKees Rocks, PA
Jerry Waldorf, project director
$100,000

Elizabethtown Area School District
Elizabethtown, PA
Amy Slamp, project director
$100,000

SOUTH CAROLINA

School District of Greenville County
Greenville, SC
Wade Sheahy, project director
$481,907

TENNESSEE

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System
Clarksville, TN
Thomas Butler, project director
$245,717

TEXAS

Pasadena Independent School District
Pasadena, TX
Candace Ahlfinger, project director
$543,349

Region XV Education Service Center
San Angelo, TX
Louann Cate, project director
$410,397

Joshua Independent School District
Joshua, TX
John Grigsby, project director
$219,665

Midlothian Independent School District
Midlothian, TX
Al Hemmle, project director
$205,619

Hidalgo Independent School District
Hidalgo, TX
Guillermo Rameriz, project director
$227,115

Education Service Center, Region 20
San Antonio, TX
Mayra De Hoyos, project director
$806,685

Education Service Center Region XIII
Austin, TX
Becky Washington, project director
$161,865

El Paso Independent School District
El Paso, TX
Victor Araiza, project director
$453,968

Kirbyville Consolidated Independent School District
Kirbyville, TX
Jimmy Gaspard, project director
$89,096

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District
Rosenberg, TX
Colleen Martin, project director
$243,677

UTAH

Ogden City School District
Ogden, UT
Chad Carpenter, project director
$239,488

VIRGINIA

Carroll County Public Schools
Hillsville, VA
Dennis Hall, project director
$110,062

Hanover County Public Schools
Ashland, VA
William Sadler, project director
$242,051

Patrick County Public Schools
Stuart, VA
Judy Thorpe Lacks, project director
$99,000

Page County Public Schools
Luray, VA
Thomas Randall, project director
$82,839

Newport News Public Schools
Newport News, VA
Donald Green, project director
$243,394

WEST VIRGINIA

Barbour County Board of Education
Philippi, WV
Glenn Sweet, project director
$93,570

WISCONSIN

Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee, WI
Peter Pochowski, project director
$380,806

West Allis-West Milwaukee School District
West Allis, WI
Kaleen Morkin, project director
$227,475

Kenosha Unified School District #1
Kenosha, WI
Joseph, Kucak, project director
$189,967

WYOMING

Teton County School District #1
Jackson, WY
Peir Trudelle, project director
$99,320

St. Stephens Indian School Education Association Incorporated
St. Stephens, WY
Ed Trujillo, project director
$126,919