Millions for Pennsylvania School Safety and Security

Educational entities in Pennsylvania have two ways to apply for $52.5 million worth of School Safety and Security grants through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).

In June, the PCCD created the School Safety and Security grant program and allocated $52.5 million to be distributed among educational institutions and districts around the state in two parts.

Two-Part School Safety and Security Grants

The Part A: Meritorious Application is only open to school districts for a one-time grant of $25,000, and will be awarded to each school district that applies and meets the criteria. The total cost set aside for Meritorious Application grants is $12.5 million.

The remaining $40 million is up for grabs by all school entities through the Part B: Competitive Application, including school districts seeking more funding after receiving a grant through Part A, intermediate units, area vocational-technical school, charter school or private residential rehabilitative institution.

The total grant award from both parts cannot exceed $6 million for any recipient. No matching is required as part of this grant award.

School Safety and Security Priority Areas

The goal of the PCCD’s School Safety and Security grant program is to make schools a safer place by strengthening and fortifying through increases in:

• Safety and security assessments in school buildings
• Training opportunities for administrators, teachers and students
• School-wide positive behavioral support and other evidence-based programs related to security
• District-wide school safety, violence prevention, emergency preparedness and all-hazard plans
• Security-related technology and equipment purchases
• Counseling opportunities for students
• School resource officers and police officers
• Trauma-informed approaches to education

All recipients of the School Safety and Security grants must fund one or more of the following items or activities:

• Safety and security assessments that meet the committee’s criteria
• Conflict resolution or dispute management
• School-wide positive behavior support
• Peer helper programs
• Risk assessment, safety-related, violence prevention curricula, including dating violence curricula
• Classroom management
• Student codes of conduct
• Training for district-wide assessment of risk factors that increase the likelihood of problem behaviors among students
• Development and implementation of research-based violence prevention programs
• Security planning and purchase of security-related technology, including: metal detectors, protective lighting, specialty trained canines, surveillance equipment, special emergency communications equipment, automated external defibrillators, electronic locksets, deadbolts, trauma kits and theft control devices.
• Institution of student, staff and visitor identification systems
• Counseling services for students
• System for the management of student discipline
• Staff training programs in the use of positive behavior supports, de-escalation techniques and appropriate response to student behavior
• Costs associated with the training and compensation of school resource officers
• Costs associated with the training and compensation of certified guidance counselors, licensed social workers
• Administration of evidence-based screening for adverse childhood experiences that are proven to be detriments of physical, social and behavioral health
• Trauma-informed approaches to education

School Safety and Security Grant Application Process

Applications for both Part A and B must be received through the PCCD EGrants System.

Applications are due by Oct. 12.