NEW PROGRAM OFFERING SCHOOLS GRANTS TO FIGHT VIOLENCE, DRUGS

WASHINGTON -- Spurred by last year's spate of schoolyard shootings in
the United States, federal officials committed $300 million in new
grants Thursday to school districts that can demonstrate effective
ways of combating violence and drugs.

The new program will provide as much as $3 million a year for three
years to 50 public districts that, through an upcoming application
process, can put together a comprehensive strategy in areas such as
gang intervention, school security, mental health treatment and mentoring.

The overall rate of crime in schools actually has decreased slightly
nationwide over the past five years, but worries over the state of
American education -- along with tragic shootings in schoolyards from
Oregon to Kentucky -- have made fighting violence and drugs a
passionate cause.

``Communities are coming together across the nation to provide
services for children,'' Attorney General Janet Reno said in
announcing the program. She hailed the initiative as an
``unprecedented partnership'' between three Cabinet-level departments
- -- Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services -- in an effort
to streamline the cumbersome funding process and get resources to
those students most in need of help.

Some specialists are skeptical

But specialists in the field were somewhat dubious.

``These are important issues, and we ought to applaud them,'' said
University of Michigan Professor Maris Vinvoskis, who has studied
educational-policy issues.

But, he said, given the federal government's spotty track record in
the area: ``There's every reason to be skeptical about whether this is
going to do what they say it's going to do. . . . Why should I believe
it this time?''

In the past, federal school programs with similar aims sparked
criticism for devoting billions of dollars with virtually no strings
attached. In the name of safe and drug-free schools, funds were used
for things such as Disneyland tickets, puppet shows and resort
weekends for community leaders.

Higher accountability standards

But federal officials vowed that this latest program would ensure
higher standards of accountability because districts would have to
compete for the money. ``Schools that come in with programs that
aren't sound and effective are going to be knocked out,'' said Bill
Modzeleski, the U.S. Department of Education's point person for the
program.

In applications due June 1, districts seeking funds will have to
provide documentation on key problem areas -- such as drug and alcohol
use, weapons possession, truancy and suicidal behavior -- and map out
a plan for combating these problems. The plan must demonstrate
cooperation with outside groups such as police, mental health and
juvenile-justice officials.

The program will award as much as $3 million a year to urban school
districts, $2 million to suburban districts and $1 million to rural

and tribal districts. Initial grants will last three years.

Modzeleski stressed that districts must rely on methods that have been
proven effective by research. A district that wanted to spend all its
money on metal detectors, for instance, would face rejection because
``research has shown that's highly ineffective.''