New Pennsylvania State Budget Includes $60 Million for Campus Security

New Pennsylvania State Budget Includes $60 Million for Campus Security

Pennsylvania is encouraging schools to boost security with new funding.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • June 26, 2018

Starting this fall, school districts in Pennsylvania will be able to apply for a portion of $60 million in new funding to improve safety and security on their campus.

The funding, which was approved on June 22 by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolfe, was a key piece of the $32.7 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 and comes after another year of fatal school shootings and other violence on campuses.

Lawmakers said the funding is meant to be proactive and reactive. School districts can use the funding to hire police officers or school psychologists, add metal detectors, or pay for violence-prevention programs or other initiatives.

To distribute the funds, a committee will be established within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. It will then assess the needs of each district that applies for the funding.

To ensure that the money is distributed evenly, districts can receive no more than 10 percent of the total finds each year. That includes big school districts like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Each eligible school district that applies is guaranteed at least $25,000 towards its safety and security.

The legislature hopes to add to this fund each year.

 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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