STATEHOUSE (Oct. 12, 2023) – Several local schools recently received more than $231,000 through the state's Secured School Safety Grant Program, according to State Reps. Craig Snow (R-Warsaw) and Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash).
Snow said the funding is part of the state legislature's significant investments this year in school safety, which totaled $29.8 million in state matching grants across 474 schools in Indiana.
"Schools are continuously looking to improve security technology and coordination to better ensure the safety of students and staff," Snow said. "These matching grants will allow them to meet their needs and make the necessary upgrades."
Local schools receiving grants include:
Funds can be used for a range of safety needs like support for resource officers and law enforcement officers in schools, equipment and technology, active-event warning systems, threat assessments, and student and parent support services programs. In 2023, the Indiana General Assembly expanded the list of possible uses for the grants to include help covering the costs of much-needed technology upgrades, and to have better coordination with local government and law enforcement.
"Each school is unique, so many of them may have different security needs that need to be upgraded or replaced," Sweet said. "Whether it's adding a school resource officer, new doors or upgrades to emergency alert systems, these matching grant dollars are gamechangers for school corporations to enhance their security."
Hoosier schools have received about $163 million in school safety matching grants since 2014.
To learn more about the Secured School Safety Grant Program and what Indiana's doing to keep schools safe, visit the state's school safety hub at in.gov/schoolsafety.
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State Rep. Craig Snow (R-Warsaw) represents House District 22,
which includes portions of Kosciusko and Wabash counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash) represents House District 50,
which includes all of Huntington County, and portions of Miami, Wabash and Wells counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
