Rep. May: State awards funding to local schools for safety upgrades

Rep. May: State awards funding to local schools for safety upgrades

Posted by: Sam Strattman  | Monday, September 14, 2026

STATEHOUSE (Sept. 14, 2026) – Lawrence County schools recently received more than $201,000 from Indiana's Secured School Safety Grant Program, according to State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford).

May said the program, which was established through legislation the General Assembly passed in 2013, provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools and charter schools to help pay for critical safety improvements.

"Parents and families deserve to know their children are safe in the classroom," May said. "This funding allows schools to make needed improvements and strengthen their security."

This year, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security provided more than $26 million in grants to nearly 500 schools and corporations.

Area schools receiving grants include:

  • Lawrence County Independent School, $22,464;
  • Mitchell Community Schools, $43,000;
  • North Lawrence Community Schools, $86,000;
  • Saint Vincent De Paul School (Bedford), $7,521; and
  • Springville Community Academy, $43,000.

May said the matching grants can be used for a variety of safety measures, including hiring school resource officers, assessing site vulnerabilities, purchasing equipment and technology and implementing bullying prevention.

With this round of funding, Indiana has invested more than $240 million in school safety since the program started.

In 2025, House Republicans passed legislation moving the Office of School Safety to IDHS, centralizing safety efforts and providing additional support and resources to schools. Visit in.gov/dhs/school-safety to learn more about state efforts to keep schools safe.

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State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) represents House District 65,
which includes all of Lawrence County, and portions of Jackson, Orange and Washington counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.