Provides for grants program for developing and implementing effective techniques and activities to combat crime and violence in the schools; appropriation

1 Co-sponsor

• Eric T. Schneiderman

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the conflict resolution and school violence reduction program and making appropriations therefor

Purpose

This legislation would establish programs in the schools that would teach and train students, as well as school staff, conflict resolution techniques.

Summary of provisions

Adds a new subdivision to Section 3641. This bill provides for a grants program to teach the implementation of effective techniques and activities to combat crime and violence in the schools.

Existing law

Existing law is Section 3641 which established the special apportionments and grants to aid school districts.

Justification

This bill would combat the issue of violence in schools. Section 1 of this bill provides statistics of the violence that exists in our nation's schools and shows a need for programs that will combat this issue. This legislation would provide for grants to be distributed that would be used to teach techniques in conflict resolution that would give students other methods to deal with the conflicts that occur in their lives. As well, it would promote an air of learning rather than spending time resolving conflicts in their classroom and in their school.

Fiscal implications

The sum of five million dollars, or so much as may be necessary, is the allotted sum to fund the grants. An independent ongoing evaluation of the program.

Effective date

The first day of April after it has become a law.