(1) As used in this section, ‘certified instructor’ means an individual who is certified as an instructor by the Crisis Prevention Institute’s Nonviolent Crisis Intervention program or by another program administered by a nationally recognized organization that provides training to certify individuals in nonviolent crisis intervention methods.

(2) The Department of Education shall establish and maintain the Safe School Culture Grant program. The purpose of the program is to develop a network of instructors who are certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods to ensure that, for every 50 students in a school district or an education service district, at least one staff person of the school district or education service district is certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods.

(3) The department shall distribute funds under the program to school districts and education service districts in the manner prescribed by the State Board of Education by rule. At a minimum, the rules shall:

(a) Establish the manner by which reimbursement is provided to school districts and education service districts for wages or stipends paid to staff for the time spent by the staff to attend training to become certified instructors;

(b) Ensure school districts and education service districts are reimbursed only for the costs related to individuals who complete the certification process as newly certified instructors; and

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b) of this subsection, permit any unexpended moneys from grants to be used to support the costs of training staff in nonviolent crisis intervention methods by providing stipends and reimbursement for the cost of materials.

(4) To qualify for a grant under the program, a school district must:

(a) Require each newly certified instructor to conduct at least three complete trainings of at least 10 staff persons each year.

(b) Provide or arrange for the provision of the necessary physical space for the training.

(c) Consult with organizations representing teachers and instructional assistants to determine the priority for which staff to train to ensure training is targeted to the areas in most need of support for increasing the safety of students and staff.

(d) Consult with organizations representing teachers and instructional assistants about compensation in wages, stipends or other means to support staff to participate in training to become certified instructors or to participate in training conducted by certified instructors to become certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods.

(5) To qualify for a grant under the program, an education service district must:

(a) Ensure at least one complete nonviolent crisis intervention training of at least 10 staff persons is completed each month at the verbal intervention level or the physical intervention level, except that trainings for July and December may be offered in alternative months.

(b) Provide or arrange for the provision of the necessary physical space for the training.

(c) Not charge a fee to a school district or a staff member for the first 10 staff persons trained by certified instructors each year.

(d) Offer training in advanced physical skills only to individuals working in settings in which serious injuries have occurred or are at imminent risk of occurring.

(6) Notwithstanding subsection (4)(a) or (5)(a) of this section:

(a) For a school district with fewer than 30 employees, require each newly certified instructor to conduct as many complete trainings as possible each year.

(b) For an education service district with fewer than 30 employees, ensure as many nonviolent crisis intervention trainings as possible are completed each year.

(7) The department shall biennially distribute funds to school districts participating in the program as follows:

(a) The department shall provide to a school district with 1,500 or fewer students a grant in an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of one new certified instructor. If the school district pays for the cost of a second new certified instructor, the department shall provide the school district with an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of a third new certified instructor.

(b) The department shall provide to a school district with between 1,501 and 5,000 students a grant in an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of two new certified instructors. If the school district pays for the cost of a third new certified instructor, the department shall provide the school district with an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of a fourth new certified instructor.

(c) The department shall provide to a school district with between 5,001 and 8,000 students a grant in an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of two new certified instructors. If the school district pays for the cost of additional new certified instructors, the department shall provide the school district with an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of the additional new certified instructors, up to a total of four new certified instructors.

(d) The department shall provide to a school district with between 8,001 and 15,000 students a grant in an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of four new certified instructors. If the school district pays for the cost of additional new certified instructors, the department shall provide the school district with an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of the additional new certified instructors, up to a total of eight new certified instructors.

(e) The department shall provide to a school district with between 15,001 and 30,000 students a grant in an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of six new certified instructors. If the school district pays for the cost of additional new certified instructors, the department shall provide the school district with an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of the additional new certified instructors, up to a total of 14 new certified instructors.

(f) The department shall provide to a school district with more than 30,000 students a grant in an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of six new certified instructors. If the school district pays for the cost of additional new certified instructors, the department shall provide the school district with an amount to reimburse the school district for the cost of the additional new certified instructors, up to a total of 16 new certified instructors.

(8) The department shall biennially distribute funds through the program to education service districts for two new certified instructors in advanced physical skills and one new certified instructor in verbal and physical intervention skills. The grant must match the cost of the additional new certified instructors, up to a maximum of four new certified instructors in advanced physical skills and two new certified instructors in verbal and physical intervention skills.

(9) The department may use up to three percent of the grant funds to cover the department’s costs in administering the program under this section.

(10) Notwithstanding subsections (3), (7) and (8) of this section, the department shall distribute funds to school districts and education service districts subject to the availability of funding for the program. [2023 c.592 § 8]

Sections 9 to 11, chapter 592, Oregon Laws 2023, provide:

(1) As used in this section, ‘certified instructor’ has the meaning given that term in section 8 of this 2023 Act [339.311].

(2) A school district or an education service district that participates in the Safe School Culture Grant program established in section 8 of this 2023 Act shall submit the following reports to the Department of Education on or before the specified dates:

(a) By December 1, 2023, and again by July 1, 2024, a report that includes:

(A) The total number of new certified instructors that were certified between July 1, 2023, and the date of the report, including the dates on which the certified instructors received their certifications.

(B) A description of how the certified instructors are distributed across the school district or education service district.

(C) An accounting of how many of the new certified instructors were funded by the school district and how many were funded by the grant provided by the Safe School Culture Grant program.

(D) The number of trainings held by each of the new certified instructors.

(E) The number of staff who were certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods by completing a training by one of the new certified instructors.

(b) By December 1, 2024, and again by July 1, 2025, each school district and education service district participating in the grant program shall report to the department:

(A) The total number of staff who were certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods by completing a training with one of the new certified instructors.

(B) The total number of staff who were certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods by completing a training in verbal skills only.

(C) The total number of staff who were certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods by completing a training in verbal and physical intervention skills.

(D) The total number of staff who were certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods by completing a training in advanced physical skills.

(E) The total number of trainings held by each of the newly certified instructors between July 1, 2023, and the date of the trainings.

(F) A description of how the staff who were certified in nonviolent crisis intervention methods by completing a training are distributed across the school district or education service district, including the ratio of trained staff to students in the school district or education service district.

(G) A description of the school district’s or education service district’s assessment of how many additional certified instructors, if any, are needed to certify staff in nonviolent crisis intervention methods. [2023 c.592 § 9]

The Department of Education shall first provide grants through the Safe School Culture Grant program, established in section 8 of this 2023 Act [339.311], no later than July 1, 2024. [2023 c.592 § 10]

Section 9 of this 2023 Act is repealed on January 2, 2026. [2023 c.592 § 11]

(Coordination and Information Sharing)