Sen. Brewster Announces Area School Safety Grants
McKeesport – October 4, 2018 – State Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) today announced a total of $154,000 in state grants to improve safety and security in local schools.
“This funding will help establish safety programs, hire additional security personnel and purchase security-related equipment,” Brewster said. “I’m pleased with this round of state support and will continue to seek additional dollars to make our schools safer and more secure.”
The statewide grants were announced today by the state Department of Education following a report issued by the recently-established Pennsylvania School Safety Task Force. Brewster was the first state lawmaker to call for such a statewide task force, which provides an encompassing review of school safety procedures and makes recommendations for improvements.
Local schools receiving funds today include:
- $20,000 for the McKeesport School District (violence prevention program);
- $30,000 Baldwin-Whitehall School District (hire/train school security officers);
- $30,000 Plum Borough School District (hire/train school security officers);
- $30,000 Elizabeth Forward School District (hire/train school security officers);
- $30,000 Allegheny Township (hire/train school security officers)
- $14,000 for the Westinghouse Arts Academy (equipment);
Brewster said another round of grant funds will be coming from the new $60 million School Safety and Security Grant program he supported in this year’s state fiscal budget. Those grants will be administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The deadline for schools to apply for the PCCD grants is Oct. 12.
“Following the tragic school shooting in Florida last year, I am pleased to see that local schools are working to bolster school security and safety,” Brewster said. “It is imperative that we continue taking steps to provide a safe and positive learning environment for all students.”
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