Area school districts serving the 67th Legislative District have been awarded more than $830,000 in School Safety and Security Grants, Rep. Martin Causer, R-Turtlepoint, announced Wednesday. Senator Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, also announced the grants, noting funding for school safety initiatives has been one of his top priorities.
The grants are awarded by the School Safety and Security Committee within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Bradford Area School District was awarded $448,833 for school-wide positive behavior support; security planning and the purchase of security-related technology; and staff training programs.
Other McKean County school districts that received funding included Kane Area School District, which received $30,000 for security planning and the purchase of security-related technology; Otto-Eldred School District, which received $30,000 for safety and security assessments, and security planning and the purchase of security-related technology; Port Allegany School District, which was awarded $30,000 for security planning and the purchase of security-related technology; and Smethport Area School District, which was awarded $30,000 for security planning and the purchase of security-related technology.
“I am pleased to see funding devoted to school safety coming back to all our schools here in Cameron, McKean and Potter counties,” Causer said. “Safety is something we used to take for granted at school, but that is no longer the case. This funding will go a long way toward helping our students learn and our teachers teach in a secure environment.”
Elsewhere, Cameron County School District was awarded $114,979 for districtwide school safety and violence prevention programs; security planning and the purchase of security-related technology; student, staff and visitor identification systems; and training for both staff and students.
Several Potter County school districts were awarded $30,000 each, including Austin, Coudersport, Galeton and Oswayo Valley, all for security planning purposes and related technology, and Northern Potter for safety and security assessments and planning.
“We clearly need to do everything within our ability to keep students and teachers safe in their learning environments,” Senator Joe Scarnati, R-Brockway, said. “It is extremely important that we ensure local control to allow each school district to evaluate its needs and vulnerabilities and utilize funding to shore up any weaknesses that exist.”
The funding was part of more than $53 million in grants awarded to more than 500 school districts, vocational schools, charter schools and intermediate units across the state. The 17-member committee charged with awarding the grants was created as part of a comprehensive school safety and security law passed in 2018.
