Teacher Tara Matise exercise with her prekindergarten students participating virtually in her classroom ahead of planned in-person learning at Nebinger Elementary School in Philadelphia, Friday, March 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The funding will help public and private schools across the commonwealth to provide security personnel, equipment upgrades and mental health support for students.
Close to $20 million in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee was approved last week to fund school safety and mental health support across the commonwealth.
This brings the total amount of grant funding awarded by Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration for protecting students in schools to $120 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“Our kids can’t focus on learning if we aren’t meeting the basic need for safety within the walls of their schools and making sure students’ mental health needs are met,” Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, chair of PCCD and the School Safety and Security Committee, said in a statement.
“This program is more than funding—it’s about investing in the well-being of our kids and giving peace of mind to their families and school staff who are dedicated to helping them learn and grow.”
The School Safety and Security Committee grant funding for the previous year breaks down into two categories:
- Competitive Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools
- Noncompetitive School Safety & Mental Health Grants
The most recent round of grant funding were competitive grants for nonpublic schools, which received 367 applications for $19.6 million. This funding went to nonpublic schools as well as law enforcement agencies, municipalities and approved security vendors to improve school safety.
The remaining $100 million was distributed through noncompetitive grants, and helped fund school security and mental health needs for 779 public school entities across the commonwealth. This includes public schools, charter schools, intermediate units and career and technical schools.
Thanks to this funding, Conemaugh Township, located in Somerset County, hired school police officers and mental health clinicians, while the Bellefonte Area School District, in Centre County, used funding to upgrade new radios and equipment for security staff and school social workers.
“I’ve listened to our kids as they’ve told me about their mental health struggles – that’s why my Administration is getting real help to students all across Pennsylvania quickly,” Shapiro said in a statement.
“The resources secured in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget will give students better access to mental health support and ensure that schools can upgrade technology and security measures to protect students, staff, and visitors.”
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