**U.S. Department of Education**

**\$27 Million in Readiness and Emergency Management Grants Awarded to
32 States**

91 school districts to use funds to help improve readiness and emergency
management\
![](media/image1.png){width="3.9055555555555554in"
height="8.333333333333333e-3in"}

  ------------------------------ ----------------------------------------
  **FOR RELEASE:**\              **Contact:** Public Affairs\
  August 29, 2007                (202) 401-1576

  ------------------------------ ----------------------------------------

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced today the award
of more than \$27 million in grants to 91 school districts in 32 states
to help them enhance and fortify their readiness and emergency response
management plans.

\"Providing a safe learning environment for children is one of our most
important duties as educators,\" Spellings said. \"These grants will
support that effort by helping more school districts strengthen their
crisis planning and better coordinate with the entire community to
ensure the safety of our schools and students.\"

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) discretionary
grant program provides funds for local education agencies (LEAs or
school districts) to improve and strengthen their emergency management
plans. The program also enables school districts to develop improved
plans that address all four phases of emergency management:
Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. School
districts also must commit to developing written plans that are
coordinated with state Homeland Security plans, support the
implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and are
designed to prepare for a possible infectious disease outbreak, such as
influenza pandemic.

Funds also can be used to train school personnel and students in
emergency management; communicate emergency management policies and
reunification procedures to parents and guardians; coordinate with local
emergency responders, including fire and police; purchase equipment; and
coordinate with groups and organizations responsible for recovery
issues, such as health and mental health agencies.

As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, local school districts must
provide assurances that they have plans that outline how they are
working to keep their schools safe and drug free.\
The grants are housed within the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools,
which supports efforts to create safe schools, respond to crises,
prevent drug and alcohol abuse, ensure the health and well being of
students, and teach students good citizenship and character. The office
also coordinates the Department\'s efforts in these areas with other
federal agencies.

A complete list of the 91 grant awards follows:

ALASKA

Nome Public Schools\
Nome, AK\
John Wehde, project director\
\$167,846

ARIZONA

Santa Cruz Regional School District\
Nogles, AZ\
Alfredo Velasquez, project director\
\$360,120

New Century Educational Management\
Phoenix, AZ\
Richard Hay, project director\
\$238,172

Washington Elementary School District\
Glendale, AZ\
Pam Horton, project director\
\$193,385

Deer Valley Unified School District\
Phoenix, AZ\
Debra Webb, project director\
\$247,466

Gilbert Public Schools\
Gilbert, AZ\
Bruce Harvey, project director\
\$247,120

Marana Unified School District\
Marana, AZ\
Jan Truitt, project director\
\$95,530

Maricopa Unified School District #20\
Maricopa, AZ\
Heidi Fawcett, project director\
\$160,806

ARKANSAS

Monticello School District #18\
Monticello, AR\
Katrina Cavaness, project director\
\$85,211

Hoxie School District #46\
Hoxie, AR\
Suzanne Allen, project director\
\$124,111

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles Unified School District\
Los Angeles, CA\
Bob Spears, project director\
\$485,870

San Lorenzo Unified School District\
San Lorenzo, CA\
Larry Maniscalco, project director\
\$242,801

Lawndale Elementary School District\
Lawndale, CA\
John Vincke, project director\
\$258,691

CALS Early College High School\
Los Angeles, CA\
Darryl Adams, project director\
\$252,319

Irvine Unified School District\
Irvine, CA\
Yvonne Dina, project director\
\$244,009

New Haven Unified School District\
Union City, CA\
Janice Chin, project director\
\$93,891

Riverside County Superintendent of Schools\
Riverside, CA\
Mike D\'Amico, project director\
\$498,346

Hemet Unified School District\
Hemet, CA\
Judy Miller, project director\
\$247,245

Carlsbad Unified School District\
Carlsbad, CA\
Keith Holley, project director\
\$194,146

Sutter County Superintendent of Schools\
Yuba City, CA\
Graciela Espindola, project director\
\$246,505

COLORADO\
Aurora Public Schools\
Aurora, CO\
Trudy Wicks, project director\
\$207,597

St. Vrain Valley School District RE-1J\
Longmont, CO\
Lynn Wolf, project director\
\$508,073

Wiggins School District\
Wiggins, CO\
Jacques Weimer, project director\
\$78,650

Falcon School District #49\
Falcon, CO\
Jay Hahn, project director\
\$268,082

FLORIDA

Panhandle Area Educational Consortium\
Chipley, FL\
Patrick McDaniel, project director\
\$499,011

School Board Orange County\
Orlando, FL\
Joe Mastandrea, project director\
\$480,145

Martin County School District\
Stuart, FL\
Linda King, project director\
\$249,190

IDAHO

Lapwai School District #341\
Lapwai, ID\
Harold Ott, project director\
\$139,216

ILLINOIS

Bloom Township High School District #206\
Chicago Heights, IL\
Mark Sheahan, project director\
\$504,685

Winnebago County Unit School District #323\
Winnebago, IL\
Dennis Harezlak, project director\
\$99,880

West Chicago Elementary School District #33\
West Chicago, IL\
Marjory Lewe-Brady, project director\
\$98,983

Harlem School District\
Machesney Park, IL\
Scott Horsch, project director\
\$247,450

Chicago Public Schools District #299\
Chicago, IL\
Andres Durbak, project director\
\$927,370

INDIANA

Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools\
Jasper, IN\
Donna Hopkins, project director\
\$104,046

LOUISIANA

Terrebonne Parish School District\
Houma, LA\
Suzanne Carlos, project director\
\$248,981

St. Tammany Parish School Board\
Covington, LA\
Jim Suitt, project director\
\$542,176

St. Bernard Parish Schools\
Chalmette, LA\
Beverly Lawrason, project director\
\$326,911

MASSACHUSETTS

North River Collaborative\
Rockland, MA\
Joanne Sullivan, project director\
\$249,388

Reading Public Schools\
Reading, MA\
John Doherty, project director\
\$98,650

MICHIGAN

West Bloomfield School District\
West Bloomfield, MI\
Neil Currie, project director\
\$569,638

School District of the City of Pontiac\
Pontiac, MI\
George Phifer, project director\
\$234,359

Kalamazoo RESA Instructional Center\
Kalamazoo, MI\
John Haas, project director\
\$483,402

Berkley Public School District\
Oak Park, MI\
Nancy Campbell, project director\
\$243,733

Ann Arbor Public Schools\
Ann Arbor, MI\
Henry Caudle, project director\
\$244,624

MISSISSIPPI

Winona Public School District\
Winona, MS\
Marsha Cummings, project director\
\$100,200

Jackson Public School District\
Jackson, MS\
Michael Thomas, project director\
\$463,805

MISSOURI

Webb City R-7 School District\
Webb City, MO\
Ron Lankford, project director\
\$461,664

MONTANA

Twin Bridges Public Schools\
Twin Bridges, MT\
David Whitesell, project director\
\$97,720

NEBRASKA

Douglas County School District #0001\
Omaha, NE\
Roddie Miller, project director\
\$681,115

NEVADA

Clark County School District\
Las Vegas, NV\
William Miller, project director\
\$773,503

NEW JERSEY

Denville Township School District\
Denville, NJ\
Drucilla Clark, project director\
\$99,866

Passaic County Technical Institute\
Wayne, NJ\
Albert Pecora, project director\
\$98,761

Jersey City Public Schools\
Jersey City, NJ\
Francis Dooley, project director\
\$249,000

Moorestown\
Moorestown, NJ\
Gregory McCarty, project director\
\$99,000

South Orange & Maplewood Board of Education\
Maplewood, NJ\
William Kyle, project director\
\$99,669

NEW YORK

Oswego County BOCES\
Mexico, NY\
Michael Sterio, project director\
\$99,000

NORTH CAROLINA

Lee County Schools\
Sanford, NC\
Andrew Bryan, project director\
\$98,460

OHIO

Cincinnati Public Schools\
Cincinnati, OH\
Thomas Gunnell, project director\
\$485,266

Lancaster City School District\
Lancaster, OH\
Jack Stiers, project director\
\$100,000

OKLAHOMA

Coweta Public Schools\
Coweta, OK\
Sean McDaniel, project director\
\$98,002

Morrison School District\
Morrison, OK\
Janice Davis, project director\
\$96,358

Wagoner Public School District\
Wagoner, OK\
Cora Fletcher, project director\
\$91,781

Agra Public Schools\
Agra, OK\
Wes McFarland, project director\
\$91,435

OREGON

Hillsboro School District 1J\
Hillsboro, OR\
Liza Andrew-Miller, project director\
\$740,426

PENNSYLVANIA

Universal Companies\
Philadelphia, PA\
Janice Butler, project director\
\$300,000

Montour School District\
McKees Rocks, PA\
Jerry Waldorf, project director\
\$100,000

Elizabethtown Area School District\
Elizabethtown, PA\
Amy Slamp, project director\
\$100,000

SOUTH CAROLINA

School District of Greenville County\
Greenville, SC\
Wade Sheahy, project director\
\$481,907

TENNESSEE

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System\
Clarksville, TN\
Thomas Butler, project director\
\$245,717

TEXAS

Pasadena Independent School District\
Pasadena, TX\
Candace Ahlfinger, project director\
\$543,349

Region XV Education Service Center\
San Angelo, TX\
Louann Cate, project director\
\$410,397

Joshua Independent School District\
Joshua, TX\
John Grigsby, project director\
\$219,665

Midlothian Independent School District\
Midlothian, TX\
Al Hemmle, project director\
\$205,619

Hidalgo Independent School District\
Hidalgo, TX\
Guillermo Rameriz, project director\
\$227,115

Education Service Center, Region 20\
San Antonio, TX\
Mayra De Hoyos, project director\
\$806,685

Education Service Center Region XIII\
Austin, TX\
Becky Washington, project director\
\$161,865

El Paso Independent School District\
El Paso, TX\
Victor Araiza, project director\
\$453,968

Kirbyville Consolidated Independent School District\
Kirbyville, TX\
Jimmy Gaspard, project director\
\$89,096

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District\
Rosenberg, TX\
Colleen Martin, project director\
\$243,677

UTAH

Ogden City School District\
Ogden, UT\
Chad Carpenter, project director\
\$239,488

VIRGINIA

Carroll County Public Schools\
Hillsville, VA\
Dennis Hall, project director\
\$110,062

Hanover County Public Schools\
Ashland, VA\
William Sadler, project director\
\$242,051

Patrick County Public Schools\
Stuart, VA\
Judy Thorpe Lacks, project director\
\$99,000

Page County Public Schools\
Luray, VA\
Thomas Randall, project director\
\$82,839

Newport News Public Schools\
Newport News, VA\
Donald Green, project director\
\$243,394

WEST VIRGINIA

Barbour County Board of Education\
Philippi, WV\
Glenn Sweet, project director\
\$93,570

WISCONSIN

Milwaukee Public Schools\
Milwaukee, WI\
Peter Pochowski, project director\
\$380,806

West Allis-West Milwaukee School District\
West Allis, WI\
Kaleen Morkin, project director\
\$227,475

Kenosha Unified School District #1\
Kenosha, WI\
Joseph, Kucak, project director\
\$189,967

WYOMING

Teton County School District #1\
Jackson, WY\
Peir Trudelle, project director\
\$99,320

St. Stephens Indian School Education Association Incorporated\
St. Stephens, WY\
Ed Trujillo, project director\
\$126,919

\###