A community wide plan to address bullying, organized jointly by Dearborn Public Schools and the City of Dearborn, got off to a strong start this month due in part to an unanticipated boost in funding provided by a leading Wayne County official.

Dearborn Public Schools Supt. Brian Whiston (left) and school board president James Schoolmaster (right) accept a ceremonial check from Wayne County Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak for a $20,000 county grant to support the anti-bullying effort launched Sept. 14 jointly by the school district and the city of Dearborn.

Wayne County Commission Chairman Gary Woronchak secured a $20,000 county grant which was formally announced at the kickoff for the anti-bullying effort held Sept. 14 at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.

Planning for the city schools program to combat bullying had been in the works for a year, but Woronchak approached school officials with the offer to help fund the effort less than two weeks before the kickoff event.

Woronchak explained that the funding is a county PASS grant. PASS (Prevention Action Services System) provides grants for programs that help young people develop academically and socially and to avoid the juvenile justice system. The county’s 2011-12 budget, which was approved by the commission last month, included funding for the grants through the Department of Children and Family Services.

“As word got out about the school district and city’s anti-bullying efforts, around the same time as we were putting final touches on the county budget, it seemed to me that this program would fit perfectly with the prevention service grants,” said Commissioner Woronchak, himself a product of Dearborn Public Schools.

School officials were pleased to learn of the grant and expressed gratitude to Woronchak for taking the initiative and quick action to obtain the funds.

“In working to put this plan together over the last year, organizers came up with many good ideas and concepts to address bullying, but some seemed out of reach because funding was going to be limited with tight budgets in the school district and city,” said Superintendent Brian Whiston. “Commissioner Woronchak bringing this unexpected grant to us just as we were about to kick off the program gave us great momentum going forward.”

Parents, students, staff and elected officials attended the Anti-Bullying Extravaganza Sept. 14. At the event, Dearborn Mayor John B. O’Reilly Jr. and Superintendent Whiston shared details of the plan, including the intended curriculum and activities for schools.

Students presented videos they created that capture the anti-bullying theme and the district rolled out the “Response to Bullying Behavior” poster contest. The winning poster will be distributed and displayed at schools, shops and homes throughout the city.

The kickoff program also featured costumed team mascots from the Detroit Tigers, Lions and Pistons, and emceed by WXYZ-TV reporter Anu Prakash.