Woburn Public Schools Receives $60K Violence Prevention Grant

WOBURN, MA — Woburn Public Schools recently received a $60,000 grant designed to bolster school safety and enhance violence prevention efforts within the district.

Late last month, the administration of Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kimberley Driscoll announced that 14 school districts, including WPS, had received funding through the Student, Teachers and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Grant Program.

The grant program is funded by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance and administered in Massachusetts by the Office of Grants and Research (OGR).

WPS leaders said the district will use the funding to conduct a threat assessment meant to identify threats before they materialize, including those from individuals experiencing mental health crises. Additionally, the district will establish a crisis intervention team to act on and mitigate potential threats to school safety.

"We are thrilled to have received this funding, which will help us to greatly improve our services to ensure the safety of our students," said WPS Superintendent Matthew Crowley.

Crowley said Maureen Ryan, the district's assistant superintendent for Student Services, was instrumental in the district acquiring the grant.

According to the Healey-Driscoll administration, a total of $570,465 in grant funds was awarded to school districts, charter schools and educational collaboratives in the most recent round of STOP School Violence funding.

"Massachusetts remains deeply committed to working with our partners across state and local agencies to ensure our schools offer a safe and healthy learning environment for our children and educators," Healey said. "These grants will provide the resources that school officials need to enhance safety and mitigate potential threats."

The grants in the most recent round of STOP School Violence funding ranged from $19,500 to $60,000. Woburn was one of five districts to receive $60,000. The others were: Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District, Haverhill Public Schools, Peabody Veterans Memorial High School and Quabbin Regional School District.