School safety grants were awarded to nine school districts in Beaver and Lawrence counties, according to Senator Elder Vogel (R-47).
Beaver County school districts receiving grants are:
- Beaver Area, $385,378.
- Big Beaver Falls Area, $250,930
- Hopewell Area, $132,681
- New Brighton Area, $195,320
- Riverside Beaver County, $46,500
Lawrence County school districts receiving grants are:
- Ellwood City Area, $156,373
- Mohawk Area, $142,406
- New Castle Area, $705,744
- Union Area, $134,614
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.
“This funding provides these districts in Beaver and Lawrence counties with financial support to enhance the safety of students in these schools,” said Senator Vogel. “It is important to me that we take the appropriate and necessary steps to ensure our young people can feel safe in their classrooms and schools.”
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.
A total of approximately $40 million was awarded for 234 projects throughout the state in the current round of funding. In total, the School Safety and Security Grant Program will provide $52.5 million in school safety grants and $7.5 million in community violence prevention grants in the current Fiscal Year.
Every school district in the state that submitted a meritorious application was awarded a $25,000 grant last October to improve school safety. The grants announced today were awarded on a competitive basis to schools that were seeking additional funding beyond the original grant.
PCCD received a total of 638 applications totaling $177.6 million for school safety projects in the current Fiscal Year.
CONTACT: Josh Konecheck (724) 774-0444 jkonecheck@pasen.gov