SCRANTON, September 12, 2018 – State Sen. John Blake (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe) today encouraged local school districts to apply for funding through a new state grant program designed to improve school safety.

The new School Safety and Security Grant Program, which was created as part of the 2018-19 state budget, will provide $52.5 million in grant funding to school entities for programs that address safety and security.

“The safety of our students, our teachers and our schools is paramount and this grant funding will certainly improve the security of our learning environments,” Blake said.  “I encourage all of our school districts and educational institutions to take advantage of this new program that will significantly upgrade school safety programs and procedures across the Commonwealth.”

Blake noted that eligible uses of the grant funding include hiring of school security officers; purchase of security-related technology; safety and security assessments; implementation of violence prevention curricula; counseling services for students; and other programs and services that improve school safety and security.

Per the grant program, each school district that submits a justifiable application to improve school safety for an activity not already supported through other state or federal funding sources shall receive a minimum grant allocation of $25,000 annually. There is also competitive grant funding available in the program to school districts, intermediate units, area vocational technical schools, charter schools and private residential rehabilitative institutions.

All applications must be submitted electronically through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Egrants system PCCD’s Egrants no later than Friday, October 12. For more information on the grant program, visit www.pccd.pa.gov/schoolsafety. School officials should contact the PCCD Egrants Help Desk at 717-787-5887 with any questions.