School districts share $4.9 million in AODA funding

State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster announced that 93 school districts will share $4.9 million in state funds to provide programs and instruction to prevent students from using alcohol and other drugs (AODA). Another $350,000 will fund 26 grants for tobacco prevention and intervention activities in 38 communities.

“Use and abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs by young people can severely compromise their success in school,” Burmaster said. “These grants will help reduce or eliminate the barriers that substance abuse places on their academic achievement, and support our New Wisconsin Promise to provide a quality education for every child.”

The 81 state AODA grants for the 2006-07 school year will fund programs in 93 school districts that teach skills and information aimed at preventing students from using alcohol and illegal drugs. School districts use a comprehensive approach for programming. Many of the funded projects use multiple strategies and link resources from home, community agencies, and the school to impact student decision-making and behavior related to drugs and alcohol. Grants may be renewed for a second year of funding in the 2007-08 school year.

In addition to the AODA grants, Burmaster announced that 38 communities received school-tobacco grants through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Health and Family Services. As part of a comprehensive tobacco control effort by the state, these school-tobacco grants are meant to insure that there are efforts aimed at prevention and cessation of early smoking. Grants are evaluated based on their use of National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines for school-tobacco programs. Particular importance is placed on the school’s involvement and cooperation with local tobacco coalitions in their county or communities. Awards were made to both individual school districts and consortium projects where clusters of neighboring schools planned to work together.

A list of school districts receiving state Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse grants and School-Tobacco Grants for the 2006-07 school year is available following the complete news release.

Last updated on 8/7/2006