BENTON, Ky. – Marshall County High School, where two students were killed and 18 others were injured in a 2018 shooting, has been awarded over $620,000 in grant money for campus security upgrades.
The award to the Marshall County Board of Education comes from a federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant that Kentucky received in 2018, reports The Courier-Journal. The money will be used to install a security camera system and for exterior door improvements, among other things.
“We will never forget the tragedy in Marshall County and we will continue to do everything we can to honor those we lost, support the community and protect our students and educators,” Governor Andy Beshear said in a news release. “We are grateful the Marshall County Board of Education received this critically important grant. With these additional funds, the Board will be able to make the improvements necessary to further support the emotional, psychological and physical safety and security of each survivor, student and educator.”
On Jan. 23, 2018, a 15-year-old student gunman killed Bailey Holt and Preston Cope, both 15. The alleged gunman pleaded not guilty and is set to stand trial on charges of murder and assault on June 1. However, the trial may be delayed due to coronavirus concerns, according to The Courier-Journal. Marshall Circuit Judge Jamie Jameson said he would rule after receiving more guidance from the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Grant money has also been awarded to the 42nd Judicial Circuit Victim Advocacy Project to help the victims during prosecution.
Marshall County school district officials have used previous VOCA grant money to launch the Marshall Strong Recovery Project, which paid for two mental health therapists at the school and offers free counseling for students and staff, reports The Tribune-Courier. The therapists are continuing to provide counseling and crisis intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic through telehealth.
The latest grant money comes after the Kentucky General Assembly passed a one-year budget on April 1 that kept most funding flat from the current fiscal year due to COVID-19. The budget does include $18.2 million in school facility improvements and an additional $20 million for school resource officers and mental health counselors.
