HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Education recently announced over $53 million in school safety grants, including grants to public schools in Schuylkill County, according to Senator David G. Argall. These grants are given to schools to assist in the continuing effort to prevent violent incidents.
The Majority Policy Committee, which he chairs, held 10 roundtable discussions on this topic and proper funding to address safety concerns in public and nonpublic schools was one of the recurring themes.
“Our children are our future, and making sure they have a safe environment to learn and grow in is critically important. These grants will go a long way to ensuring these schools will provide just that,” said Argall.
The school districts in Schuylkill County that received grants were Blue Mountain for $40,000, Mahanoy Area for $30,000, Minersville Area for $35,000, North Schuylkill for $35,000, Pine Grove Area for $410,248, Pottsville Area for $158,361, Saint Clair Area for $30,000, Schuylkill Haven Area for $35,000, Shenandoah Valley for $30,000, Tamaqua Area for $40,000, Tri-Valley for $30,000, and Williams Valley for $30,000. The Schuylkill IU also received a grant for $56,840.
In spite of the popularity and importance of the program, Governor Wolf’s 2020-21 budget proposed to cut $45 million from the program next year — a 75-percent reduction. Senator Argall has made restoring this funding a top priority in budget negotiations.
Contact: Jim Brugger
717.787.2637