HARRISBURG – School safety grants totaling more than $2 million were awarded today to 24 school districts and other entities serving students in Washington, Greene and Beaver counties, according to Senator Camera Bartolotta (R-46).
School districts and other entities that were awarded grants include:
- Aliquippa School District.
- Ambridge Area School District.
- Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit.
- Hopewell Area School District.
- South Side Area School District.
- Brownsville Area School District.
- Carmichaels Area School District.
- Central Greene School District.
- Jefferson-Morgan School District.
- Southeastern Greene School District.
- West Greene School District
- Avella Area School District.
- Bentworth School District.
- Bethlehem-Center School District.
- Burgettstown Area School District.
- California Area School District.
- Canon-McMillan School District.
- Charleroi School District.
- Chartiers-Houston School District.
- Fort Cherry School District.
- McGuffey School District.
- Ringgold School District.
- Trinity Area School District.
- Washington School District.
Eligible uses for the grants include hiring school security officers, purchasing security-related technology, completing safety and security assessments, implementing violence prevention curricula, offering counseling services for students, and creating other programs to protect students.
The grants were awarded by the School Safety and Security Committee within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) as part of the School Safety and Security Grant Program, which was created by lawmakers in 2018.
“Over the past two years, this grant program has led to numerous school safety improvements throughout the region that are tailored to the unique needs of each school district,” Bartolotta said. “Nothing is more important than protecting our children. I am thankful that these grants will allow our local schools to make even more progress toward providing a safe learning environment for young people.”
A total of approximately $53.7 million was awarded for 524 projects throughout the state in the current round of funding. PCCD received a total of 970 applications totaling $134.5 million for school safety projects in the current Fiscal Year.
In spite of the popularity and importance of the program, Governor Wolf’s 2020-21 budget proposed to cut $45 million from the program next year — a 75-percent reduction. Bartolotta said that Senate Republicans have made restoring this funding a top priority in budget negotiations.
CONTACT: Colleen Greer (717) 787-1463