Harrisburg — Senator John DiSanto (Dauphin/Perry) said today that more than $1 million in School Safety and Security Program grants have been awarded to 13 school districts in the 15th Senatorial District.
The following school districts will receive grants:
Dauphin County
Central Dauphin $420,000
Derry Township $40,000
Halifax Area $102,286
Harrisburg City $45,000
Lower Dauphin $40,000
Millersburg Area $68,880
Susquehanna Twp. $40,000
Upper Dauphin $35,000
Williams Valley $30,000
Perry County
Greenwood $100,180
Newport $30,000
Susquenita $35,000
West Perry $40,000
DiSanto said the grants can be used to hire school security officers, purchase security-related technology, complete safety and security assessments, implement violence prevention curricula, offer counseling services for students, and create 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.
“The General Assembly made school security a priority because children can’t learn if they and their teachers don’t feel safe,” DiSanto said. “Whether the grants are used for building renovations, counseling services or other initiatives, this funding helps create the environment students need to succeed.”
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 importance of the program to local schools, Governor Wolf’s 2020-21 budget proposed to cut $45 million from the program next year — a 75-percent reduction. Senate Republicans have made restoring this funding a top priority in budget negotiations.
CONTACT: Chuck Erdman cerdman@pasen.gov (717) 787-6801