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Stronger Connections Grant (SCG)

Elementary Students Lying in a Circle

Office Hours

On the 4th Thursday of the month from 3:30-4:30 p.m., the Stronger Connections Grant Team hosts Office Hours where announcements and opportunities are shared and LEA questions about the grant are answered. To receive the invite, please complete THIS FORM.

 

Post-Award Revisions (PAR)

Announcements

The Colorado Department of Education is excited to announce a summer/fall regional learning opportunity, titled Enhancing School Safety Regional Training: Integrating Prevention and School Climate Improvement Efforts

This training will explore the fundamentals of preventing school violence by emphasizing the creation of systems and structures essential for positive school environments. Participants will engage in collaborative sessions to identify, integrate, and align evidence-based school violence prevention strategies (e.g., inclusive discipline practices, bullying prevention, proactive social-emotional and positive behavioral supports).  

Dates, Times and Locations (click to register):

Please click here to access more information. For additional questions, contact Preventing School Violence: psv@cde.state.co.us

Stronger Connections Grant Awardees

Round 1

  • Adams County School District 14*
  • Adams-Arapahoe 28J - AXL Academy
  • Adams-Arapahoe 28J - Vega Collegiate Academy
  • Agate School District 300*
  • Alamosa School District Re-11J
  • Burlington School District RE-6J*
  • Centennial School District R-1*
  • Center Consolidated School District 26JT
  • Colorado River BOCES
  • Colorado Springs School District 11*
  • CSI - Early College of Arvada
  • CSI - Kwiyagat Community Academy

  • Deer Trail School District 26J
  • Elizabeth School District*
  • Ellicott School District 22*
  • Garfield County School District 16*
  • Harrison School District 2
  • Holly School District Re-3*
  • La Veta School District RE-2
  • Lake County School District R-1
  • Las Animas RE-1 - Academy of Las Animas Online*
  • Las Animas School District RE-1*
  • Mancos School District RE-6*
  • Manitou Springs School District 14

  • Mapleton School District 1
  • Mesa County Valley School District 51
  • Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 - 0609 Battle Rock Charter*
  • Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1*
  • Mountain Valley School District RE-1
  • North Park School District R-1*
  • Poudre School District R-1
  • Pueblo School District 60*
  • School District 27J
  • Stratton School District R-4
  • Weld County School District R-3J
  • Weld County School District RE-8*
  • Yuma School District 1*

Round 2

  • Academy School District 20
  • Cotopaxi Re-3
  • CSI - AXIS International Academy
  • Denver Public Schools - Girls Athletic Leadership Schools of Denver
  • Dolores School District RE-4A

  • Huerfano Re-1*
  • Moffat County School District: RE-1
  • Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 - Southwest Open School*
  • Pritchett RE-3*
  • Rocky Ford School District RE2*

  • Telluride School District R-1
  • Upper Rio Grande School District - Del Norte Elementary School
  • West End RE-2 School District*

*"High-Need" LEA

Overview of the Stronger Connections Grant

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), signed into law in June 2022, authorized $1 billion for states to pursue safer communities and healthier outcomes for students through activities that are allowable under Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Specifically, funds were awarded to State Educational Agencies (SEAs) to support safe and healthy students, by allocating 95% of the state’s allocation to Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in a manner consistent with the SEA’s established competitive process and to design and implement a statewide support using 4% of the state’s allocation (1% is reserved at the SEA for administration of the competitive grants).  

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) received a total allocation of $9,356,572 for a three-year performance period, ending on September 30, 2025. The amount reserved for state-level activities is $374,262.88 (4%) for the three-year period. The BSCA bill includes a requirement for SEAs to distribute funds on a competitive basis to “high-need” LEAs to implement allowable Title IV, Part A activities aligned with the Safe and Healthy Students program purpose.

"High-Need" LEA

In defining “high-need” local education agency (LEA), the United States Department of Education (ED) asked states to consider a focus on LEAs with high rates of poverty and with one or more of the following characteristics: 

  1. High student-to-mental health professional ratios; 
  2. High rates of chronic absenteeism, exclusionary discipline, referrals to the juvenile justice system, bullying/harassment, community and school violence, or substance abuse; or 
  3. Where students recently experienced a natural disaster or traumatic event. 

The definition of a “high-need” LEA in Colorado, developed in consultation with stakeholders and with public input, is based on quartile rankings for three criteria:

  1. the percentage of students eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL), 
  2. the student-to-mental health professional ratio, and 
  3. the rate of chronic absenteeism, for public school districts within the state. 

Points were assigned to each criteria using the ranges in the table below, and a total composite score was calculated for each LEA, including the Charter School Institute, the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, and any BOCES that serve their own schools. LEAs with at least 10 total points are considered “high-need” LEAs and are automatically eligible to apply for the Stronger Connections Grant. “High-need” LEAs will be notified directly. 

Graph of public comment summary

An LEA that does not meet the definition of a "high-need" LEA is not automatically eligible to apply, however, based on CDE’s process, the LEA will still have the option to apply.

Under this alternative option, the LEA will be required to present their own data to demonstrate an identified need that aligns with the intent of the Stronger Connections Grant.

Allowable Use of Funds

An LEA that receives a grant under the program shall use the monies to fund activities that are reasonable, necessary, and allowable under section 4108 of the ESEA to provide students with safer and healthier learning environments.

Examples of allowable services or activities include:

  • Drug and violence prevention activities that are evidence-based
  • School-based mental health services
  • Comprehensive health education programs
  • Integrating health and safety practices into school or athletic programs
  • Nutritional education and physical education activities
  • Implementation of schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports
  • Bullying and harassment prevention
  • Activities that improve instructional practices for developing relationship-building skills
  • Prevention of teen and dating violence, stalking, domestic abuse, and sexual violence and harassment
  • Mentoring and school counseling
  • Establishing or improving school dropout and reentry programs
  • Suicide prevention
  • Crisis management and conflict resolution techniques
  • School-based violence prevention strategies
  • Reducing exclusionary disciplinary practices
  • Establishing partnerships within the community to provide resources and support for schools
  • Strengthening relationships between schools and communities
  • High-quality training for school personnel in effective practices related to any of the above

Note: Funds may not  be used for food, school construction, or to provide any person with a dangerous weapon or training in the use of a dangerous weapon.  A “dangerous weapon” as defined in section 930(g)(2) of title 18 of the United States Code is a weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury, except that such term does not include a pocketknife with a blade of less than 2 1/2 inches in length.

Grantee Reporting

Stronger Connections Grantees will be required to submit data from two sources:

  1. The first is the Annual Financial Report (AFR) which is included as part of the Excel budget template submitted and approved for funding. The AFR will be submitted to CDE via the online Grant Report Submission form by December 30 of each year.

  2. The second is LEA self-scored data from each rubric included in the Fidelity of Implementation (FOI) Toolkit. Information about how to submit data from the FOI will be forthcoming. In the meantime, please use this tool to monitor your progress in implementing your project plan.

Please see the table below for reporting periods and deadlines:

Performance Period FOI Data Due AFR Data Due
Grant Award Letter Date - 9/30/2024 By: 12/30/2024 By: 12/30/2024
10/1/2024 - 3/31/2025 By: 6/30/2025 No AFR Due
4/1/2025 - 9/30/2025 By: 12/30/2025 By: 12/30/2025

Additional Resources

Timeline

Implementation Years

2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years         

Obligate Funds By

9/30/2026

Tydings Period

Through 9/30/2026

Final Request for Funds

10/15/2026

Round 2 SCG Application Materials

Program Assurances Form

Training Resources

Round 2 Application Webinar September 28, 2023  PowerPoint | Recorded Webinar

Initial Application Webinar April 13, 2023   PowerPoint | Recorded Webinar

 

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Updated June 11, 2024