Act 44 of 2018 authorized the establishment of the Committee within the PCCD. Under the law, school districts, intermediate units, area vocational-technical schools, charter schools and private residential rehabilitation institutions can apply for a maximum of $6 million to support one or more school safety measures including:
- performing school safety assessments;
- purchasing security-related technology and equipment
- supporting school safety-related and behavioral-health training
- preparing all-hazards plans
- hiring school resource officers, school police officers, school counselors, social workers and school psychologists
- providing for trauma-informed approaches to education
Lawmakers believe Pennsylvania must provide more funds for school safety
Pennsylvania Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr., one of the members of the Committee, noted that the total request from schools was $177.6 million.
According to him, the requests illustrate that it is important to continue funding the school safety grant program, which “has already proven to be very successful in helping local school districts take the steps they need to make our students safer and our school buildings more secure.”
