Effective July 1, 2025, creates new GS 143B-1209.61 to establish the School Safety Grants Program. Appropriates from the ARPA Temporary Savings Fund to the State Bureau of Investigation $20 million for each year of the 2025-27 biennium to fund the School Safety Grants Program and states NCGA intent to fund the Program on a recurring basis beginning with 2027-29. Directs the Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools to establish the School Safety Grants Program to improve safety in public school units by providing grants for (i) services for students in crisis, (ii) school safety training, and (iii) safety equipment in schools. Requires the Executive Director to develop criteria and guidelines for the administration and use of the grants. Authorizes public schools to apply for grant funding. Applications must include an assessment, to be carried out in conjunction with a local law enforcement agency, of the need for improving school safety within the public school unit that would receive the funding or services. The application must identify current and ongoing needs and estimated costs associated with those needs.

Grants for Students in Crisis.

Directs the Executive Director, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, to use the funds appropriated by the act, not to exceed $350,000 per fiscal year, to award grants to public school units for contracting with community partners, defined in the act, to provide or pay for the provision of the following crisis services:

(1) Crisis respite services for parents or guardians of an individual student to prevent more intensive or costly levels of care.

(2) Training and expanded services for therapeutic foster care families and licensed child placement agencies that provide services to students who (i) need support to manage their health, welfare, and safety and (ii) have cognitive or behavioral problems, developmental delays, or aggressive behavior.

(3) Evidence-based therapy services aligned with targeted training for students and their parents or guardians.

(4) Any other crisis service, including peer-to-peer mentoring, that is likely to increase school safety.

Grants for Training to Increase School Safety.

Directs the Executive Director, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, to use the funds appropriated by the act, not to exceed $350,000 per fiscal year, to award grants to public school units to contract with community partners to address school safety by providing training to help students develop healthy responses to trauma and stress, to include:

(1) Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) training for school health personnel, first responders, and teachers on suicide prevention and reducing stress.

(2) Training for school health personnel on evidence-based clinical treatments for students and parents.

(3) Training for students and school employees on community resilience models to improve understanding and response to trauma and stress.

(4) Training for school health support personnel on Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC).

Grants for Safety Equipment.

Directs the Executive Director to use the funds appropriated by the act to award grants to public school units for the purchase of safety equipment for school buildings and training associated with the use of the equipment. Authorizes charter schools to receive grant awards for school safety equipment. Lists the kinds of equipment that may be purchased with grant funds.

Directs that school safety grants may not be used to supplant other state or non-state funds already provided for the services described in the act. Provides that the Executive Director may retain as much as $100,000 per fiscal year for administrative costs associated with the program. Authorizes the Executive Director to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Public Instruction to disburse grants. Requires the Executive Director to report on the Program, no later than April 1 of each fiscal year, to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Governmental Operations, the Senate Appropriations/Base Budget Committee, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Fiscal Research Division.

Requires the application for the School Safety Grants Program to be available by April 1, 2025.

Includes a severability clause.