Area schools receive grants for safety and security enhancements
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The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency announced on Wednesday grant funding to enhance safety and security in area schools.
The commission’s School Safety and Security Committee awarded at least $30,000 to each school district in the Observer-Reporter coverage area as part of a statewide allocation of more than $53 million in safety grant funding.
Belle Vernon Area School District is set to receive $487,648 in funding through the grant program for safety enhancements.
Superintendent Michele Dowell said the district is “beyond thrilled” to receive a $447,648 competitive grant from the committee in addition to a meritorious grant valued at $40,000.
Dowell said the funding will cover new security camera systems across the district, which has been a longtime need, as well as new public announcement systems at the high school, middle school and Rostraver Elementary School.
A new public announcement system was installed at Marion Elementary School just over five years ago, she said.
“It’s been a great system, and we’re looking to add that in each of the other buildings,” said Dowell.
The grants will cover the entirety of the two projects, which Dowell hopes will be completed in the summer.
The Uniontown Area School District was awarded two grants totaling $378,322 – the sum of a $338,332 competitive grant and a $40,000 meritorious grant.
District business manager Sally Matthews said the district has planned to purchase various security equipment, including radios, bag scanners and handheld wands, to be used throughout the district.
Uniontown also intends to use the funding towards security training and behavioral support training for school personnel and to increase memory storage for its security cameras, said Matthews.
“We have demonstrated what we have done,” Uniontown Superintendent Charles Machesky said regarding the district’s efforts over recent years to bolster security at its school buildings and to thwart a shooting threat its high school in 2018.
“We’ll find a way to spend this money effectively,” he said.
The grants awarded Wednesday are intended to subsidize safety and security enhancements as outlined in the Pennsylvania Public School Code.