Governor Tom Corbett announced on Friday that $3.9 million has been awarded to 114 schools and municipalities to fund the hiring of police and resource officers in schools across Pennsylvania.
The grant program enables schools and municipalities to receive funding through the Department of Education to cover the cost of hiring a school resource officer or school police officer. Schools and municipalities can receive up to $60,000 for a school resource officer and up to $40,000 for a school police officer.
Grantees are required to fund these positions for at least two years and will be eligible to receive 50% of their 2014-15 grant award during the 2015-16 school year.
Of the 114 awards, 39 are new applicants and 75 are continuation grants for schools and municipalities that received an award during the 2013-14 school year. Continuation grants are funded at 50% of the amount received in the prior year.
Priority for funding is given to schools and municipalities that employ officers who have completed additional training related to interaction with children and adolescents within a school setting.
