Grants awarded to fund school, resource officers
With the help of a $3.9 million grant from Gov. Tom Corbett, three Washington County schools are among 39 districts across the state to receive funding for a school resource officer or school police officer.
Avella Area and Canon-McMillan school districts received $60,000 while First Love Christian Academy High in Washington received $40,000.
Dr. Janell Logue-Belden, superintendent of Avella, said the district plans on hiring a resource officer within the next month. Logue-Belden said she believes every school should have a resource officer, especially those in rural areas like Avella.
“We don’t have a police department nearby,” she said. “Response times are very long.”
She said she took the idea of hiring a resource officer to the school board after the district underwent intruder training.
“They wanted to pursue it,” she said. “Everyone feels this is something we need to have.”
Corbett created the program last year, which allows schools and municipalities to receive funding through the Department of Education to cover the cost of hiring a school resource officer or school police officer. Schools and municipalities can receive up to $60,000 for a school resource officer and up to $40,000 for a school police officer. Grant recipients are required to fund the position for at least two years, and are eligible to receive half of their current award during the following school year.
A total of 114 grants were issued. Of that, 39 grants were to new applicants and 75 were continuation grants. Burgettstown Area, Ringgold and Trinity Area school districts were among the districts to receive continuation grants. All three received $20,000.
Logue-Belden said a school resource officer is a retired or part-time law enforcement officer. Districts partner with their local police departments for school police officers.
Dr. Kathleen Miller, superintendent of First Love Christian Academy, said a candidate is already in mind for the position. Miller said a school resource officer will provide additional security, traffic control and programing to the building. Miller said the school, at 1530 Hillcrest Ave., Washington, caters to grades nine through 12.
“We are looking to be proactive,” she said. “We have to protect (the students) from anyone who would want to come on campus.”