PENNSYLVANIA – Governor Josh Shapiro recently announced that more than $8 million in competitive Safe Schools Targeted grants have been awarded to 166 schools throughout Pennsylvania. These grants will help improve school safety in a variety of ways, including purchasing safety equipment, implementing new programs, and hiring security personnel and school resource officers. “Every student in Pennsylvania deserves a safe learning environment, and these Safe Schools Targeted Grants will help schools all across the Commonwealth invest in the resources and staff they need to keep students, teachers, and staff safe,” said Gov. Shapiro.
The list of awardees can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office for Safe School website.
“Our educators and school administrators work tirelessly each day to ensure that students’ social, emotional, and wellness needs are met, and this funding will further support the resources that schools have at their disposal,” said Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “Providing comfortable learning environments that empower learners to achieve will ultimately lead them to infinite possibilities of success.”
Forty-three local education agencies (LEAs) received equipment or program grants totaling $1.94 million; 20 received funding to hire school police officers totaling $1.4 million; and 20 LEAs received grants to hire school resource officers totaling nearly $1.5 million. Approximately $3.4 million was awarded to 83 nonpublic schools for equipment and programming.
The grants are intended to assist schools in reducing unnecessary student disciplinary actions and promoting an environment of greater productivity, safety, and learning; and enhancing anti-violence efforts between schools and parents, local governments, law enforcement, and community organizations.
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