Harrisburg, PA - Today, the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) approved $47 million in competitive school safety and security grants to improve safety, security, and mental health supports for students and staff at schools across the Commonwealth. The awards announced today complete the $155 million school safety grants program package appropriated in the bipartisan 2023-24 budget and issued by the SSSC in January 2024.
“As a father, I understand how much Pennsylvania parents care about keeping their kids safe at school and healthy in body and mind,” said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, chair of PCCD and the SSSC. “Our kids are facing so many pressures, and our schools are dealing with significant challenges. The Shapiro-Davis Administration is committed to making sure our schools have the resources they need to keep their facilities secure from threats and provide the mental health services and support that our kids need.”
The SSSC collectively approved $155 million in federal and state school safety funding, appropriated in the FY 2023-24 budget, under the following solicitations:
- Noncompetitive School Mental Health Grants: $90 million grant program for school districts, charter schools, area career and technical centers, and intermediate units to support school-based mental health and behavioral health supports, including counselors and resources for students.
- Formula-Based School Safety and Security Meritorious Grants: $18.6 million grant program provided to all Pennsylvania school districts for physical security enhancements and/or mental/behavioral health needs.
- Competitive School Safety and Security Grants: $32.2 million grant program for eligible school entity applicants as well as municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and approved vendors to support physical security improvements, behavioral health resources, and school security personnel needs.
- Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools: $14.5 million grant program to support programs addressing school violence and improving school safety and security through grants to Intermediate Units (IUs) and approved vendors on behalf of nonpublic schools.
View a full list of awards, including dollar amount and school entities approved for funding, on PCCD’s School Safety and Security webpage.
Funds will advance the School Safety and Security Committee’s goal of ensuring that all Pennsylvania students can learn in safe, healthy school environments by helping school entities address basic safety needs and mental health services identified in the Committee’s recently adopted Revised Baseline Criteria Standards.
For more information on the awards announced today, visit PCCD’s School Safety and Security webpage.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ali Gantz - algantz@pa.gov
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