Funding School Bus Security

The long and arduous journey of potential
homeland security grants to school districts

By Stephane Babcock

In February, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced federal grant programs totaling more than $3 billion. Approximately half of the money — $1.7 billion — is divided into four categories, with the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) and State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) closely splitting almost 97 percent of the total grants. From there, 0.375 percent of the SHSP money is first allocated to each state. The destinations of the remaining funds are determined by an effectiveness score by the DHS. UASI money is divided between two tiers made up of seven high-risk areas and 53 other candidate areas. Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? These are only the first few steps in the monies’ very long journey to local agencies, including police and fire departments, and (sometimes) school districts.

Funds for Schools?
Although the DHS has attempted to spell out the procedures involved in applying for grant funding by posting information on its Web site, www.dhs.gov, very few school districts apply. In an attempt to get a sampling of districts from around the country, School Transportation News questioned 100 school district officials on the issue. Although 50 percent of the districts had applied for some type of DHS grant in the past, only 20 percent had actually received funding and only 5 percent of the money went to anything related to school bus security, whether that be GPS systems, cameras or training exercises.

But what is true in one state is not true for all. In California, the process to submit proposals for DHS funding has a number of possible peaks and pitfalls. After the state office of homeland security is informed about the projected money, the county offices of emergency management and urban areas security initiatives are given their pieces of the pie.

“It’s very difficult for school districts to receive DHS funding,” said Ron Wade, assistant administrator for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. “If they are eligible and their project is rated above police and fire, than they can get all or a portion of the money they’re requesting.”

From there, the local agencies send out announcements to all potential applicants. The candidate must then decide under which investment justification category their proposal would fall. Last year, the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management had seven categories, which included community outreach, planning, critical infrastructure and intervention.

“But they are up against every project that has submitted a proposal,” reminded Wade. “The subcommittee for each category votes on the projects. If they agree on a proposal, then it goes on the project list.”

The next destination for each approved submission is the local grant task force, which looks at all the priority projects. To make matters more difficult, someone can challenge the earlier decisions and argue before the grant task force on the importance of their project. If the task force agrees, another previously approved project with a lower priority will get de-funded.

Is GPS Eligible?
Installing global positioning systems (GPS) on school buses has any number of benefits. And although it is listed on the DHS grant eligibility list, districts still have to gain approval from the state before receiving funds to pay for the systems which can help in any number of emergency situations.

“Although GPS is currently an allowable expense under the Homeland Security Grant Program, states are required to pass at least 80 percent of the funding to the local recipients, so the determination really happens at the local level,” said Debbie Wing, spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

In New York, the topic of where school preparedness falls has been under discussion a lot lately, according to Jodi Ankerbrandt, a spokeswoman for the state Office of Homeland Security. But, according to the state’s grant department, GPS systems on school buses would not be approved for districts in the end.

In other states, DHS funds for the specific purpose of installing GPS have recently been approved. For George Beckett, transportation director for Kanawha County Schools in West Virginia, DHS funds will pay for the installation of 61 GPS units and emergency generators that would be used to pump fuel in the event of a power outage.

“The state department of education (DOE) knew we were in the midst of installing GPS units on our fleet of 195 buses,” said Beckett, who was told $64,000 was approved for GPS around the first of February.

The paperwork, which can sometimes deter many districts from applying for any type of grant funding, was completed by the DOE’s Office of School Facilities (OSF). But the grant approval was based on more than just words on paper.

“It’s always important to lobby for the money, and being in constant contact with those folks (West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management), and developing a relationship with them, it was significantly easier for me to get those dollars than perhaps for others,” said Bill Elswick, executive director of the OSF.
Elswick recommended pointing out the broader benefits involved with a proposed project. For example, GPS on school buses has the potential to help in the evacuation of major metropolitan area.

“It has a benefit for a homeland security response. Fortunately, it also has a trickle down benefit for the students of West Virginia and the school transportation system,” added Elswick.

Possible Help for Schools in the Future
Recently, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D - N.C.) introduced a bill — the Schools Empowered to Respond Act — that would create a director of school preparedness and response within DHS. This person would be responsible for evaluating how grant money should be used and could make recommendations to include additional school security measures. Rep. Etheridge, who at one time served as North Carolina’s state superintendent and currently serves on the House Homeland Security Committee, also added a provision to H.R. 1, Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, that required DHS to conduct a thorough assessment of the threats to school transportation and to make recommendations to Congress (see update on school bus threat assessment on page 28).

“Children spend the majority of their daylight hours in school, but schools are often overlooked when considering emergency preparedness and first responder needs,” said Rep. Etheridge. “An attack on a school bus would be devastating not only in lives harmed, but also in its psychological and symbolic impact. We owe our children no less than to ensure that we understand all threats and take steps to address these threats.”