HARRISBURG – Schools and community groups can apply now for grants to help boost school safety and reduce the risk of community violence, according to Senators Ryan Aument (R-36) and Scott Martin (R-13).
The School Safety and Security Grant Program provides grants to school districts, intermediate units, area vocational-technical schools, charter schools, and private residential rehabilitative institutions for a wide variety of projects to improve school safety.
The grants fund projects including hiring school security officers, purchasing security-related technology, completing safety and security assessments, implementing violence prevention curricula, offering counseling services for students, and creating additional programs to protect students.
A total of $18.72 million will be distributed to all schools that submit a qualifying application, and an additional $33.78 million in grants will be awarded on a competitive basis.
An additional $7.5 million will be awarded to improve community safety and reduce the risk of violence through projects including mentoring and intervention for at-risk children and families; promoting communication between school entities and law enforcement; and linking the community with local trauma support and behavioral health systems.
“Lancaster County benefitted greatly from the nearly one million dollars in School Safety and Security Grants that were awarded to our communities and schools for the 2018-19 period,” said Aument. “I am eager to see how our community can continue to use these funds to improve the safety of our children and residents, and would therefore encourage any eligible entity to submit an application for the upcoming round of awards.”
“If we expect students to reach their full potential, we need to make sure they can learn in a safe environment,” said Martin, who sponsored the bill that created the grant program. “All of our local schools can benefit from the resources this program provides, and I am hopeful that every school district will take this opportunity to boost school safety.”
The program was updated in June to include an emphasis on trauma-informed education and support services to help students who have experienced distressing events and life circumstances.
The grant program is administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
The application period for grants is open now through November 4. More details about the program are available at the PCCD School Safety and Security webpage.
CONTACT: Ryan Boop (717) 787-4420 (Senator Aument)
Terry Trego (717) 787-6535 (Senator Martin)