Public School Districts' Opioid Recovery Trust Launches Grant Program to Aid Districts Affected by Opioid Epidemic

BATON ROUGE, La., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Public School Districts' Opioid Recovery Trust ("PSDORT") aims to help public school districts recover from the opioid epidemic and develop responses to enhance the education of students harmed by the opioid epidemic. This primarily includes students born with neonatal opioid withdrawal symptoms, many of whom require special education supports, but we also include students who have suffered traumatic family loss and educational interruptions because of the opioid epidemic. Awards from the trust will go where it will have the most impact, whether classroom services, school based behavioral and mental health supports, instructional interventions, or other district and school based supports that directly impact students harmed by the opioid epidemic.

Eligibility
Any independent public school district (e.g. not a charter or private school network) can apply for an award. Eligible applicants must demonstrate a need for opioid recovery and support services and have a plan to integrate these services into their existing support frameworks. Awards will be made to districts who best meet the eligibility and scoring criteria outlined in the Request for Proposal. Districts can apply for grants with external civic and community partners or with partner districts, but the grants will paid directly to the districts.

Types of Grants
Districts can apply for the following three types of grants, each with a maximum grant value of $500,000, to be implemented over a maximum of three years:

        District Improvement Grants
These grants will help districts of all sizes respond to system-wide challenges triggered by the opioid epidemic. Districts should consider how they coordinate and align their own resources with those available in their wider communities to support and expand services for students harmed by the opioid crisis.

             Model Programs and Best Practices Grants
These grants will help districts build or adopt model programs, based on evidence, in support of students harmed by the opioid crisis. These programs and best practices can include areas such as teaching approaches, curricular modifications, extended learning opportunities, mental health supports and restorative practices, forms of acceleration and enrichment, and the use of technology to foster learning and engagement by harmed students.

              Innovation Grants
These grants will enhance the ability of districts to introduce new, innovative approaches to support students harmed by the opioid crisis. These approaches can be at the level of the student, the class, the school and/or the district in relation to the family and community and include all areas that impact the wellbeing of these students.

Full proposals will be evaluated based on their likelihood of success in meeting the evidence-based needs and priorities identified in the RFP.

Important Dates
Applications for grant funds will open on July 15, 2024, with a deadline for the first phase of grant applications on November 15, 2024. All costs incurred in preparing an application and responding to this RFP and/or participating in any interview process will be the responsibility of the Grantee and will not be reimbursed.

Winning grants are expected to be announced by March 15, 2025, allowing districts to plan and budget for the 2025-2026 year.

Get Started
You are encouraged, but not required, to submit a notice of intent to the Special Trustee indicating your district's interest in the grant program. Registering your intent ensures you receive all necessary information and updates related to the application process. The notice of intent does not commit your district in any way and applying for a grant does not involve the district in any litigation. There is no registration or application fee. If the district is successful in its application, it will agree to the terms and conditions set forth in the RFP. The notice of intent is immediately available at www.SchoolDistrictOpioidRecoveryGrants.com.

SOURCE Public School Districts’ Opioid Recovery Trust Special Trustee