Area schools get grants for safety
Area school districts were awarded state grants Tuesday to help improve student safety through a new program.
State Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) announced that school districts in the 122nd Legislative District that applied will receive $25,000 each in funding.
“The new $60 million grant program, which I supported, was created as part of a comprehensive school safety bill that was signed into law in June and included in the current state budget,” Heffley said.
Local grant recipients include, Jim Thorpe Area School District, Lehighton Area School District, Palmerton Area School District, Panther Valley School District, and Weatherly Area School District, all of Carbon County, and Hazleton Area School District, in Luzerne County.
Elsewhere, State Rep. Mario Scavello (R-40) announced that 11 area school districts in Monroe and Northampton counties were also awarded a grant of $25,000.
“I worked with my legislative colleagues to create this grant program because students and teachers need a safe learning environment for education to take place,” Scavello said. “These funds will help local schools address their most pressing needs for ensuring safety and security.”
Local grant recipients include East Stroudsburg Area School District, Pleasant Valley School District, Pocono Mountain School District, and Stroudsburg Area School District in Monroe County and Northern Lehigh School District in Northampton/Lehigh County.
The School Safety and Security Grant Program was created by lawmakers earlier this year to provide grants to schools for a wide variety of projects to improve school safety.
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 new program was created as part of a comprehensive school safety bill that was signed into law in June. More than $60 million in new funding was dedicated in the current year’s budget to improve school safety.
More information on the General Assembly’s efforts to improve school safety measures is available online at https://www.pasenategop.com/school-safety/.
