. Use Stimulus Money to Improve School Safety Replace or Upgrade Dangerous Wired Glass Traditional wired glass is NOT safety glass.  It breaks with minimal impact causing thousands of school injuries every year.  The stimulus dollars now flowing to local school districts can be used to replace or upgrade unsafe wired glass in schools.  This newsletter and our Safe Glass for Schools website are intended to provide school facility professionals with updated information about where the stimulus money is going and how these funds can be used to make  schools safer.   Schools Get All Stabilization Funds This Year Under the Stimulus Plan, the Department of Education (DOE) will release $48.6 billion to local school districts from the the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF).  As of August 2009, only 19% of these funds had been released.   DOE plans to release the remaining 81% by the end of 2009.  School districts are encouraged to use any or all of their SFSF monies for school repair.  Guidelines for spending SFSF funds authorize schools to replace or upgrade unsafe wired glass, because these repairs: ·   Maximize short-term investment ·   Create lasting results ·   Create local jobs ·   Minimize unsustainable ongoing commitments To learn more about distributions of stabilization funds, go to the Stimulus Money page on our Safe Glass For Schools website. Unsafe Wired Glass Injures Thousands of Students Annually Wired glass looks safe but it is not. While it can protect the spread of fire, this fragile glass breaks with minimal human impact.  The wire actually weakens the glass and increases the likelihood of breakage even under the relatively mild force exerted by an elementary school student. Experts estimate that there are at least 2,300 school injuries yearly from unsafe wired glass. To see a CBS Evening News investigative report on the dangers of wired glass, click here.   SaftiFirst has worked for over 30 years to call attention to the need for glazing products that protect people from both fire and impact danger.  Now is the right time to change out or upgrade unsafe wired glass to protect students.   The "window" for action is short, though.  That's why we are reaching out to you.  Please contact us if you need information about using stimulus money for school repairs or about finding safe alternatives for unsafe wired glass   Sincerely,   The  SAFTI FIRST team 888.653.3333 dianas@safti.com Quick Links Safe Glass For Schools Safe Alternatives More About Us Follow the money An Accident Waiting to Happen Traditional wired glass cannot meet federal safety standards for human impact.  In fact, glazing, like the one pictured above, can be shattered if a child as young as six runs into it.  This application of unsafe wired glass also violates model building codes.  Safe alternatives exist.   Success Stories In California, Nebraska, North Carolina, Wisconsin, West Virginia and other places, school districts are figuring out ways to put stimulus money to work in rennovating and repairing facilities.  Currently, one of the most popular mechanism is through Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs).  The federal government has allocated $22 billion for school districts to issue bonds on which they do not have to pay any interest. Instead of receiving interest, bondholders receive federal tax credits. Click here to learn about how school districts are using stimulus money to make school repairs.