Stronger Connections Grant

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA)

The BSCA was signed into law by President Biden in 2022. This legislation expands vital mental health services and provides additional support for States and districts to design and enhance initiatives that will promote safer and positive school environments for all students, educators, and school staff.

Learn more from TEA

Mission and Vision

In Texas, our mission is to establish safer and healthier learning environments and to prevent and respond to acts of bullying, violence, and hate that impact our school communities at individual and systemic levels, among other programs and activities.

Our vision is to create and sustain a Texas Center for Student Supports (TCSS) that partners with districts across the state to support the academic and nonacademic needs of students by providing safe and supportive learning environments which will result in improved academic achievement as well as mental, behavioral, emotional, and physical health and well-being of students.

Our GOALS

  • Provide 60+ high-needs districts across the state with the financial and technical assistance resources needed to implement strong and effective Student Support Programs and Student Support Teams.

  • Establish and improve school culture to produce strong relationships between staff and students, while addressing harmful, violent, and threatening behavior resulting in reductions in behavioral and disciplinary incidents, chronic absenteeism, incidents of bullying and harassment, and improved overall academic outcomes.

  • Implement effective mental health training, support, and use of resources.

  • Develop infrastructure and capacity to sustain and scale access to guidance, training, and resources that ensure 1) students experience a sense of belonging and trusting relationships, and 2) learning environments provide culturally and linguistically responsive practices, and help students overcome challenging and traumatic experiences.

Strategic Pillars or Foundations for Success

Research infographic with a document and magnifying glass icon, showing the importance of safe and supportive learning environments for student achievement and well-being.
Graphic with two hands shaking above the word 'Partnerships.' Below is text about collaboration among students, families, educators, and communities for safe and effective learning environments.
Graphic with gears icon and the word 'SUSTAINABILITY', plus text about strategic plans for supporting districts' student programs.
Graphic with an icon of hands holding people and the text 'Technical Assistance' and a description about guiding and training regional ESCs and LEAs in establishing safe learning environments.
Informational graphic with a bar chart icon and text about data collection for decision making at local, regional, and state levels.
Map of Texas showing counties with numbers and blue pins indicating specific locations, with color-coded regions in blue and orange.

The TCSS will collaborate with each of the 20 ESCs as they facilitate the Stronger Connections Grant program. The guidance, training, and resources provided by the TCSS and ESCs will enable LEAs to access coaching and on-the-job professional development for the implementation of the Student Support Program. Furthermore, LEAs will establish sustainable practices and devise plans to extend the initiative to other campuses within the district.

Stronger Connections Grant Awardees

  • Valley View ISD

    Santa Rosa ISD

    Vanguard Academy

    Point Isabel ISD

    Weslaco ISD

    Mercedes ISD

    Rio Hondo ISD

    Triumph Public High Schools- Laredo

    Triumph Public High Schools- Rio Grande Valley

    Lasara ISD

    Mission CISD

    San Benito CISD

  • Alice ISD

    Ramirez CSD

    Benavides ISD

    Premont ISD

    Pawnee ISD

    George West ISD

    Calallen ISD

  • Runge ISD

    Victoria ISD

    Cuero ISD

  • A+ Unlimited Potential

    Academy of Accelerated Learning, Inc.

    Harmony School of Excellence (Houston North)

    Hempstead ISD

    Galveston ISD

    Raul Yzaguirre School of Success

    Tarkington ISD

    The Rhodes School

    Galena Park ISD

    Bloom Academy

    Stafford MSD

    Etoile Academy Charter School

    Promise Community School

  • Buna ISD

    Vidor ISD

  • Hearne ISD

    New Caney ISD

  • Fruitvale ISD

    Longview ISD

    Chapel Hill ISD (Tyler)

    Lufkin ISD

  • Chapel Hill ISD (Mount Pleasant)

    Atlanta ISD

    Texarkana ISD

  • Quanah ISD

  • Legacy Preparatory

    Golden Rule Charter School

    Grand Prairie ISD

    Forney ISD

    Richardson ISD

    Waxahachie Faith Family Academy

    Community ISD

    Advantage Academy

    Desoto ISD

    Dallas ISD

    International Leadership of Texas

  • Sanger ISD

    North Texas Collegiate Academy

    Denton ISD

    Crowley ISD

    Castleberry ISD

    Trinity Basin Preparatory, Inc.

  • La Vega ISD

  • Taylor ISD

    Waelder ISD

    Austin Achieve Public Schools

    Texas Preparatory School

  • Colorado ISD

  • Ballinger ISD

    San Angelo ISD

  • Hedley ISD

    Hereford ISD

  • Plainview ISD

    Triumph Public High Schools- Lubbock

    Lubbock ISD

  • Culberson County-Allamoore ISD

    Alpine ISD

  • Anthony ISD

    Tornillo ISD

    Clint ISD

    Canutillo ISD

    Triumph Public High Schools- El Paso

    Harmony Science Academy (El Paso)

    El Paso Leadership Academy

    Dell City ISD

    Socorro ISD

  • La Pryor ISD

    Sabinal ISD

    Dilley ISD

    Harlandale ISD

    Southwest ISD

    Harmony Science Academy (San Antonio)

    Promesa Academy Charter School

    San Antonio ISD

    Brackett ISD

    Seguin ISD

Partners

Logo of the Texas Center for Student Support (TCSS) featuring an outline of the state of Texas with a star and two abstract human figures, alongside the text 'TCSS' and 'TEXAS CENTER for STUDENT SUPPORT'.
Logo of Region 16 Education Service Center with a stylized torch icon.
Logo of the Behavioral Science & Policy Institute with stacked lines and text
Logo of Texas Education Agency with the acronym 'TEA' in large blue letters and an orange check mark integrated into the letter 'A', with the full name written below in smaller blue text.
Logo of The University of Texas at Austin, Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health, Steve Hicks School of Social Work