HARTFORD, Conn. – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that an additional 75 school districts, covering 435 schools, will receive funds as part of the School Security Grant Program, part of the Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety Act.
An additional $16 million in state funding will be used to reimburse municipalities for a portion of the costs associated with security infrastructure improvements made in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
With these additional funds, a total of $21 million has now been allocated to the school security grant program. Malloy was able to secure an additional $6 million in state bond funds to enable all schools that applied in round one to be funded. This brings the total school districts funded in round one to 111, covering 604 schools. In September, the governor announced that $5 million in state funding would support school security projects at 169 schools.
The awards, administered by the Department of Emergency Services (DESPP) and Public Protection in consultation with the Department of Education (SDE) and the Department of Construction Services (DCS), were based on a school security assessment survey conducted by each local school district that applied. Each municipality will be reimbursed between 20% and 80% taking into account factors such as municipality’s grand list and overall number of need-based students, as defined in subdivision (26) of section 10-262f of the Connecticut General Statutes.
DESPP received applications for proposed infrastructure projects, consisting of the installation of surveillance cameras, bullet proof glass, electric locks, buzzer and card entry systems, and panic alarms. A future round of funding will be announced soon.
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