HARRISBURG – School safety grants totaling more than $2 million were awarded today to 29 school districts and other entities serving students in Bedford, Cambria and Clearfield counties, according to Senator Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35).
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.
Langerholc serves as a member of the School Safety and Security Committee and worked as Chair of the Senate Education Committee to craft a law to strengthen and expand the grant program last year.
“Protecting our schools and providing a safe environment for learning is one of the most important steps we can take for young people throughout the state,” Langerholc said. “This grant program has been successful in helping our local schools address their unique security challenges, and I look forward to seeing how this round of grants will make our local schools even more secure for current and future students.”
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. Senate Republicans have made restoring this funding a top priority in budget negotiations.
School districts and other entities that will receive grants include:
- Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8.
- Bedford Area School District.
- Chestnut Ridge School District.
- Everett Area School District.
- Northern Bedford County School District.
- Tussey Mountain School District.
- Claysburg-Kimmel School District.
- Blacklick Valley School District.
- Cambria Heights School District.
- Central Cambria School District.
- Conemaugh Valley School District.
- Ferndale Area School District.
- Forest Hills School District.
- Greater Johnstown School District.
- Northern Cambria School District.
- Penn Cambria School District.
- Portage Area School District.
- Richland School District.
- Westmont Hilltop School District.
- Clearfield Area School District.
- Curwensville Area School District.
- DuBois Area School District.
- Glendale School District.
- Harmony Area School District.
- Moshannon Valley School District.
- Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District.
- West Branch Area School District.
- Purchase Line School District.
- Windber Area School District.
CONTACT: Gwenn Dando 717-787-5400 gdando@pasen.gov