Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2024: Safe and Supportive Schools Continuation Grant

Fund Code: 337

Purpose:

The goals of this state funded safe and supportive schools continuation grant program are to:

help support implementation of school-wide action plans created by Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Fund Code (FC) 335 Option 1 — Action Planning grantees in the prior year; and
continue, expand, or extend the implementation and mentor/support efforts by FY2023 FC335 Option 2 — Implementation and Mentor/Support grantees.

Priorities:

The main priorities for this grant program are to ensure that each school creates a safe, positive, healthy, culturally responsive, equitable, and inclusive whole-school learning environment, and makes effective use of a system for integrating services and aligning initiatives that promote students' behavioral health and wellness.

These efforts are supported through school-based implementation of action plans that were created after completing the Safe and Supportive Schools Self-Reflection Tool (Tool).

An additional priority for Option 2 — Implementation and Mentor/Support grantees is to provide mentoring and support in a variety of ways related to using the Tool, writing and implementing action plans, and other areas as appropriate.

Eligibility:

Massachusetts school districts that received FY2023 Fund Code (FC) 335 Safe and Supportive Schools are eligible to apply for this continuation funding opportunity to support implementation of action plans created by school and school district teams, based on all six elements of the Safe and Supportive Schools Framework (Framework)/Tool (all grantees), and mentor/support activities (former Option 2 grantees only).

Applicants must propose to focus this work in one or more schools where the FY2023 FC335 grant supported a team of school and district stakeholders to create school and district action plans (FY2023 Option 1 grantees), or where the grant supported implementation activities and mentor/support activities (FY2023 Option 2 grantees).

Eligible Districts and Maximum Funding Amounts (Option 2 grantees are indicated with an asterisk):

Agawam Public School*	$10,000
Chicopee Public Schools	$20,000
Community Day Charter Public School*	$10,000
Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School*	$10,000
Gateway Regional School District*	$10,000
Gloucester Public Schools	$18,696
Hadley Public Schools	$20,000
Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District	$20,000
Hatfield Public Schools	$10,000
Lower Pioneer Valley Collaborative*	$10,000
Manchester Essex Regional Schools	$10,000
Marion Public Schools	$10,000
Marlborough Public Schools	$10,000
Mattapoisett Public Schools	$10,000
Methuen Public Schools*	$10,000
Old Rochester School District	$10,000
Old Sturbridge Academy Charter Public School	$10,000
Ralph C Mahar Regional*	$10,000
Randolph Public Schools	$10,000
READS Collaborative	$20,000
Revere Public Schools	$10,000
Rochester Public Schools	$10,000
Saugus Public Schools	$10,000
Southern Berkshire Regional School District	$10,000
Wilmington Public Schools*	$10,000

Funding Type:

State 7061-9612

Funding:

Approximately $299,000 is available to support these grants.

Applicants are eligible for up to the amounts listed in the Eligibility section above.

Notes about funding:

Funding is contingent upon availability.
All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change.
Districts are eligible for up to the amount they received for FY2023 FC 335.
Should additional funds become available as a result of unclaimed or returned grant awards, the Department may redistribute those funds in an equitable manner among other awarded grantees in alignment with the guidelines in the initial RFP.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Grant funds may be used for school and district-based implementation coordinator(s), consultants, substitutes, evidence-based programs/initiatives, and materials to be used in the implementation of district action plans and school action plans for proposed schools. Funds cannot be used for electronics (such as iPads, computers, tablets, etc.) or construction.

These funds must be used to implement action plans that incorporate all six elements of the Framework, as submitted with the FY2024 application (or as part of the FY2023 FC 335 grant).

All applicants may consider partnering with Educational Collaboratives or other consultants to help facilitate the implementation process.

Option 2 grantees may also use funds for mentor/support activities.

Project Duration:

Upon Approval (no earlier than 7/1/2023)* – 6/30/2024

*Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Student and Family Support

Contact:

Emily Taylor
achievement@mass.gov

Phone:

(781) 338-3010

Date Due:

Friday, September 1, 2023

Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis and may be submitted prior to the due date. Extensions, if needed, may also be requested by the due date.

Note: The start date will be based on when an approvable grant is entered in EdGrants.

Required Forms:

School and District Action Plans. Please submit as one combined document.

Additional Information:

School and District Action Plans
Action plans must be received by the Department for all schools included for funding under FY2024 FC 337. Option 1 grantee action plans should have been submitted during the FY2023 FC335 grant cycle but should be resubmitted in the EdGrants application. Option 2 grantees are required to submit an action plan with this application with any changes or updates since the action plan was originally submitted. Missing action plans will result in a delay in the grant award and start date.

Program Evaluation and Professional Development
Grantees shall participate in professional development (e.g., conferences, webinars, and/or regional events, etc.) to be held by the Department, as well as in an evaluation of this grant program. In addition, the Department and Safe and Supportive Schools Commission will use feedback from grantees to inform continuous updates and improvements to the Framework and Tool. Details will be provided to all grantees once information is confirmed.

Submission Instructions:

Submit all required grant materials through EdGrants, using the following naming convention for your Safe and supportive Schools Continuation Grant:

FY24 FC337 Safe and Supportive [Applicant Name]

Grants submitted through email will not be reviewed until they are submitted in EdGrants. Emailing grant materials may delay grant start dates.

All items listed under the required forms section of this RFP should be uploaded / attached in the Attachments List formlet of the Application Submission in EdGrants. This includes a signed / scanned PDF of Part I / Coversheet with Superintendent's signature as well as Schedule A form, if applicable to your district. The final budget the applicant is requesting will be entered directly into EdGrants as part of the application submission process.

For Guidance Documents regarding EdGrants, visit EdGrants: User Guides and Information.

Please note: It is up to the district to determine who they want to add as EdGrants Front Office users in order to submit grant applications as well as payment request information. Please review the EdGrants: User Security Controls in order to make informed decisions regarding assigning your district level users.

Last Updated: June 7, 2023