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July 11, 2008

North Country gets grant to help schools fight violence, drugs

Key grant to help North Country schools fight drugs, violence

By STEPHEN BARTLETT

PLATTSBURGH -- The North Country is getting nearly $4.5 million to prevent drug use and violence and promote the healthy mental and emotional development of children and their families.

Champlain Valley Education Services secured the highly competitive grant, which it will administer in five local school districts starting this September.

Over the next four years, the federal funding will cover the costs of implementing activities, programs and services at Moriah, Ticonderoga, AuSable Valley, Saranac and Northern Adirondack schools.

"Right now, we are in the infancy stage," said Noel Stewart, CVES grant-procurement specialist.

EARLY APPROACH

The grant focuses on elementary students and early intervention and support.

"The program is designed to provide students, schools and families with a network of services and support to help them develop the skills necessary to promote positive mental health and prevent violent behavior and drug abuse," Stewart said. "And we will provide parents and the community with the tools to strengthen the lessons being taught at school."

SECOND TRY

CVES applied for the grant last year and missed it by two points. But the second time around proved successful.

Those involved worked several months to garner community support and bring the appropriate players to the table.

Out of more than 350 applications, the government awarded 57 grants nationwide and four in New York -- three of those going to urban areas, the fourth to CVES.

CVES received a four-year, $4.3 million grant for the federal Safe Schools/Healthy Students program.

Since 1999, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice have collaborated on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative.

"There is a recognized community need for these types of services," Stewart said.

$1 MILLION PER YEAR

More than $1 million in each of the next four years will provide schools and communities with funds to implement a comprehensive plan of activities, programs and services focusing on promoting healthy childhood development and preventing violence and drug abuse.

The plan focuses on safe school environments and violence-prevention activities; student behavioral, social and emotional supports; mental-health services; and early childhood social and emotional learning programs.

CVES serves 17 school districts from Schroon Lake to the Canadian border. It will partner with several health, human-service and law-enforcement agencies in Clinton and Essex counties, including Essex County Mental Health Services, Clinton County Community Services, the Essex and Clinton counties sheriff's departments, probation departments, Plattsburgh State, Behavioral Health Services North, youth bureaus and United Way.

PAID POSITIONS

"We have a budget established and will be recruiting for a project director and school-community coordinator," Stewart said.

"It provides needed services and is an economic boost to the region because it creates jobs for us and some of the contracted agencies."

Each school district receives its own budget for its needs, as do area service providers.

An evaluation team from Plattsburgh State has developed a plan to measure the program's impact and determine whether goals are reached.

"We are hoping this has a sustainable infrastructure long after the grant is over because of the changes it will make," Stewart said.

"We have the right players and the right plan, and everybody is very committed."

sbartlett@pressrepublican.com

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