Burke County on Nov. 17 approved a budget amendment and authorized staff to execute federal grant documents for a COPS Office Stop School Violence grant award that the county and Burke County Public Schools will use for school‑safety measures.

Finance staff said the county received an award of $468,743 and that the program requires a 25% local match ($156,248). The school system will provide $116,248 of the match and Burke County will provide $40,000 in cash toward the match. The board unanimously approved budget amendment number 5 ($624,991) to reflect the federal award plus local match and authorized the deputy county manager/finance director to sign grant documents.

Planned uses described in the presentation included finishing field lighting at REE Park (one unlit field), additional cameras and card‑access upgrades, and portable metal detectors for athletic events; the schools indicated they would begin with high schools and then expand until grant funds are exhausted across the three‑year grant period.

Commissioners asked whether the grant created new permanent positions; staff said no, the grant is for capital and equipment costs rather than operating positions. The county noted an estimated total lighting cost of about $160,000 for REE Park; the county had already set aside funds over multiple years in its capital plan to support the lighting project.