HARRISBURG, Pa. — Gov. Tom Corbett and Sen. Joe Scarnati have announced that $3.9 million has been awarded to 81 schools and municipalities to deploy school resource officers in schools across Pennsylvania.
Created through legislation authored by Sen. Scarnati and signed into law last year by Gov. Corbett, the grant program provides funding for programs to address school violence and security.
The competitive grant program will provide a school or municipality with a $60,000 grant for an SRO or $40,000 for a school police officer. Grantees are required to fund the officer’s position for at least two years. Pending available funding for the 2014-15 school year, grantees will be eligible to receive 50 percent of their 2013-14 awards without reapplying.
“The safety of our children is of the utmost concern to me, Senator Scarnati and members of the General Assembly,” Corbett said. “This funding is the first step in providing schools with resources to ensure our students are learning in a safe and secure environment.”
A total of 114 applications were received and reviewed based on guidelines of the grant program. Priority for funding was given to schools and municipalities that employ officers who have completed additional training related to interaction with children and adolescents within a school setting.
For a complete list of grantees, click here.
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