YORK – Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) is encouraging school districts and community groups throughout the 28th Senatorial District to apply for grants to boost safety measures and reduce violence.
“We have a great opportunity with these grants to make our schools safer and more secure so our students and teachers have a safe place to learn and teach,” Phillips-Hill said. “These grants are a continued state commitment and were included in the budget package that I supported and was signed into law this past summer.”
The School Safety and Security Grant Program provides state grants to school districts, intermediate units, career and technical schools, charter schools and private residential rehabilitative institutions to be used for school safety measures. Measures include hiring school security officers, purchasing security-related technology, implementing anti-violence curricula and providing counseling services for students as well as other programs that best protect students. Grant money can also be used to complete safety and security assessments of current facilities.
A total of $18.72 million will be distributed to any school district that applies and submits a qualifying application. An additional $33.78 million in grant funding will be awarded on a competitive basis.
Also included in the funding is $7.5 million to be awarded to community safety groups to help reduce the risk of violence through mentoring and intervention for at-risk children and families as well as improving communication between school entities and law enforcement and other programs to curb school and community violence.
The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency administers the grant program. Schools and community groups have until November 4 to complete and submit an application.
More information can be found at www.pccd.pa.gov/schoolsafety.