Harrisburg – January 24, 2022 – State Sen. Jim Brewster today announced that more than $229,000 in competitive Safe Schools Targeted grants has been awarded to local school districts to increase school safety through new equipment, programs and personnel.
“Through my many conversations with local school officials, I know that they are committed to providing students a safe environment to learn and are actively seeking new ideas and new resources to preserve that environment,” Brewster said. “These grants recognize and reward that commitment.”
More than $40 million in Safe Schools Targeted grants has been awarded to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) across Pennsylvania since 2015. The list of 2021 awards can be found here.
“Competition for state funding is stiff and these local school districts should be proud to have secured funding, with some of them receiving the maximum amount through this program,” Brewster said.
Under the program, the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s (PDE) Office for Safe Schools offers four types of targeted safety grants: equipment grants of up to $25,000; program grants of up to $20,000; School Police Officer (SPO) grants of up to $40,000; and School Resource Officer (SRO) grants of up to $60,000. The grants help LEAs reduce unnecessary student disciplinary actions and promoting an environment of greater productivity, safety, and learning; and enhance anti-violence efforts between schools and parents, local governments, law enforcement and community organizations.
Local districts receiving grants were:
Equipment:
West Mifflin Area School District – $25,000
Penn-Trafford School District – $24,900
Program:
South Allegheny School District – $20,000
School Police Officer:
Brentwood Borough School District – $39,638
School Resource Officer:
New Kensington Police Department – $60,000
Penn-Trafford School District – $60,000
Seventy-eight LEAs received equipment grants totaling $1.74 million; 39 received program grants totaling more than $583,000; 24 received funding to hire school program officers totaling approximately $949,000; and 29 LEAs received grants to hire school resources officers totaling nearly $1.6 million. Additionally, 132 intermediate units received funding for equipment totaling nearly $2.6 million, and $670,000 was awarded to 53 intermediate units in program funding.