HARRISBURG — Sen. Michele Brooks is encouraging local schools to apply now to receive funding through a new grant program dedicated to improving school safety.
The new School Safety and Security Grant Program will provide approximately $52.5 million in 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.
Eligible uses include: hiring school security officers; purchasing security-related technology; completing safety and security assessments; implementing violence prevention curricula; offering counseling services for students; and, other programs and services to protect our students and staff.
In order to be eligible to receive a grant through the new program, school entities must submit an application no later than October 12, 2018. Applications may be revised by the applicants at a later date, but applications must be submitted by October 12 in order for a school entity to be considered for a grant.
“With school safety remaining a priority for us all, I worked with my colleagues to ensure flexibility in funding, so school districts can use this funding for their own individual, specific school district needs,” Brooks said. “A one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach does not work.”
Eligible uses of grants include:
- safety and security assessments that meet best practices criteria.
- conflict resolution or dispute management.
- schoolwide positive behavior support.
- school-based diversion programs.
- peer helper programs.
- risk assessment and violence prevention curricula.
- classroom management.
- student codes of conduct.
- training to undertake a districtwide assessment of risk factors.
- development and implementation of research-based violence prevention programs.
- districtwide school safety, emergency preparedness and all-hazards plans.
- security planning and purchase of security-related technology.
- institution of student, staff and visitor identification systems.
- provision of specialized staff and student training programs.
- counseling services for students.
- a system for the management of student discipline.
- staff training programs in the use of positive behavior supports, de-escalation techniques and appropriate responses to student behavior that may require immediate intervention.
- costs associated with the training and compensation of school resource officers and school police officers.
- costs associated with the training and compensation of certified counselors, social workers, and school psychologists.
- administration of evidence-based screenings for adverse childhood experiences.
- trauma-informed approaches to education.
- programs designed to reduce community violence.
Guidelines and applications for the new program are available online at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s website at www.pccd.pa.gov under the School Safety and Security heading.
The new program was created as part of a comprehensive school safety bill that was signed into law in June. More information on school safety measures under consideration in the General Assembly is available online at https://www.pasenategop.com/school-safety/.
Diane McNaughton
(717) 787-1322
dmmcnaughton@pasen.gov