WEST CHESTER (Enero 26, 2022) – Nine schools in Chester County will receive nearly $216,000 in total state funding to purchase safety equipment and enact new safety programs, state Senator Carolyn Comitta announced today.
The funding, which comes through the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools, helps schools and local education agencies promote an environment of greater productivity, safety, and learning and reduce unnecessary student disciplinary actions. The investments also aim to enhance anti-violence efforts between schools and parents, local governments, law enforcement and community organizations.
“These investments in school safety infrastructure and programs help ensure that our schools continue to offer safe, healthy, and positive educational environments where all students are encouraged and inspired to learn to the top of the curriculum,” said, Comitta, who serves on the Senate Education Committee.
In Chester County, two types of school safety targeted grants were awarded to both public and nonpublic schools – equipment grants of up to $25,000 and program grants of up to $20,000.
The recipients are as follows:
- $24,000 for the Chester County Technical College High School for safety equipment.
- $40,860 for the Church Farm School for safety equipment ($22,910) and safety programs ($19,950).
- $20,260 for the Saints Phillip and James School for safety equipment.
- $24,938.00 for the Saint Agnes School for safety equipment.
- $22,700 for the Saint Norbert School for safety equipment.
- $21,515 for Villa Maria Academy High School for safety equipment.
- $12,580 for West Chester Friends School for safety equipment.
- $24,930 for Windsor Christian Academy for safety equipment.
- $22,125 for the Woodlynde School for safety equipment.
The funding, which comes as part of $8 million in competitive Safe Schools Targeted grants, has been awarded to 303 local education agencies across the Commonwealth. Statewide, seventy-eight LEAs received equipment grants totaling $1.74 million and 39 received program grants totaling more than $583,000.
Eligible equipment upgrades under the grant program include protective lighting, surveillance equipment, special emergency communications equipment and radios, electronic locksets, deadbolts, and theft control devices, student, staff, and visitor swipe-card identification systems, and training in the use of the security-related technology.
Eligible safety programs include conflict resolution or dispute management, restorative justice strategies, school-wide positive behavior initiatives and interventions, school-based diversion programs, peer helper programs, risk assessment and violence prevention curricula, student codes of conduct, emergency preparedness and all-hazards plans, counseling services, research-based programs that identify and address risk factors and more.
This grant program was established under Act 18 of 2019, which Comitta supported. It is separate from the School Safety and Security Grant program administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.