Pennsylvania District Uses Grant Funds to Expand Safety Measures

Pennsylvania District Uses Grant Funds to Expand Safety Measures

The Philipsburg-Osceola School District plans to use $97,008 in school safety grants to expand safety measures.

The Philipsburg-Osceola School District plans to use $97,008 in school safety grants to expand safety measures, Superintendent Gregg Palladina said. Plans for the grant include the hiring of a social worker and guidance counselors.

“Part of the grant goes to the contracting of a licensed social worker for our middle school to combat mental health issues that lead to violence at an early age,” Palladina said. “[The grant] will give us social workers and guidance counselors at all levels. In addition, we will be adding a secure entrance at Osceola Mills Elementary by the way of a mousetrap design.”

Palladina said the district has been “very proactive” in terms of school security. The district has placed a school police officer at each building and has classroom barricade devices and kiosks at schools for driver’s license checks. In addition, there are metal detectors at the middle and high school campuses.

The grants were announced by the Pennsylvania School Safety and Security Committee. The funding can be used for a wide variety of school safety measures, like risk assessment and violence prevention efforts, conflict resolution initiatives and the installation or purchase of school safety technology.

“These state funds can provide much needed tools and programs to help keep students and school staff safe,” State Rep. Scott Conklin said. “That includes counseling services, training for guidance counselors and school psychologists, and technology to enhance security at school buildings.”

In the current round of funding, a total of about $40 million was awarded for 234 projects throughout Pennsylvania. The School Safety and Security Grant Program will provide a total of $52.5 million in school safety grants and $7.5 million in community violence prevention grants during the current Fiscal Year.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Securing Higher Education: Combating Enrollment Fraud and Empowering Student Financial Success

    Higher education institutions are facing a costly and growing crisis: enrollment fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, the cost[1] of acquiring a new student surged by up to 32%, straining already tight budgets. At the same time, “ghost students” using stolen identities to enroll fraudulently put institutions at even greater financial risk. Read Now

  • How Composable Security Technologies Fortify Campus Safety

    Campus security teams have faced myriad risks threatening the safety and well-being of students and faculty this semester. Leaders have made tough tradeoffs about where to focus and how to channel limited resources to best protect their communities — but they now have a much-needed lift to their toolkit. Read Now

  • How Emerging Technologies are Transforming the School Security Landscape

    Students can't focus on learning when they're worried about their safety. As education systems nationwide face evolving security challenges with limited resources, a new generation of integrated technology solutions is helping schools create safer environments while maximizing staff efficiency. Read Now

  • How to Harness ALPR for Greater Security Efficiency and Collaboration

    Within higher education campus environments, the demand for greater security, efficiency, and resources is ever-present. Many higher education teams are adopting advanced technologies to secure their campus, streamline operations, and continue to best serve their students and faculty. Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology stands out for its ability to meet a wide range of campus objectives. Read Now