“The protection of students, educators and school employees is of the utmost concern to me, members of the General Assembly, parents and communities across the commonwealth,” Corbett said. “Students who do not feel safe while in school are unable to learn, which will negatively impact their academic performance.”

Through the School Police Officer/Resource Officer grant program, $3.9 million was awarded to 81 schools and municipalities across the state for the placement of officers in schools. Scarnati authored the legislation to create the program, which Gov. Corbett signed into law with the state’s 2013-14 budget.

“Today we are seeing firsthand the positive impacts that the school safety grant program is having within our communities,” Scarnati said. “Ensuring that students and teachers feel safe in their learning environments is a crucial part of helping children to learn and succeed. Across Pennsylvania, each school’s safety needs are unique, which the program recognizes by allowing local school officials to determine how best to use the grants to protect our children.”

The grant program allows eligible schools and municipalities to receive up to $60,000 for a school resource officer and up to $40,000 for a school police officer. These officers will be largely responsible for providing law and safety training to school staff, students, parents and school community members, including school-based human services staff from community-based organizations. They will also be expected to assist other law enforcement officers with outside investigations concerning students and act as a liaison with juvenile probation.

Corbett also announced the award of $2.6 million to 110 public schools through the Safe Schools Targeted Grant. According to a release issued by the governor’s office, this funding will be used to establish and implement programs to prevent and reduce school violence. The funding will help schools reduce unnecessary disciplinary actions and promote an environment of greater productivity. It will also provide for staff professional development using research-based violence prevention and classroom management programs, and enhance antiviolence efforts.

Each school was awarded up to $25,000 to implement or expand programs that focus on conflict resolution or dispute management, school-wide positive behavior support, school-based diversion programs, classroom management and research-based violence prevention programs that address risk factors.

As a part of this new funding, school staff will also be trained in the use of positive behavior supports, de-escalation techniques and appropriate responses to student behavior that may require immediate intervention.

In the 2013-14 state budget, funding for the Safe School Initiative was increased from $2 million to $8.5 million, allowing more schools to have access to safety funding. Corbett’s proposed 2014-15 budget preserves the $6.5 million increase for the Safe School Initiative line item.

“Schools across the state must be safe havens so students are ready to learn, ready to grow and ready to succeed,” Corbett said. “I remain committed to working with the General Assembly to ensure that all students have access to a safe and secure learning environment.”

The post Pennsylvania Invests in School Safety appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.

The post Pennsylvania Invests in School Safety appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.

SB No. 475 authorizes the Department of Administrative Services commissioner to enter into grant commitments for 21 new school construction projects, totaling $180.7 million. It will also reauthorize and change grant commitments, due to cost and scope changes, for nine previously authorized projects.

Though the bill will primarily fund standard expansion and renovation projects, it also mandates that projects integrate the school safety infrastructure standards (SSIS) introduced by the School Safety Infrastructure Council (SSIC). The council, which was formed following the assault on Sandy Hook Elementary in 2013, issued the SSIS in January 2014.

However, under the newly approved bill, the commissioner may waive the requirement to meet the SSIS if it is determined that the applying school made a good-faith effort to address the standards, and that compliance with the standards would be infeasible, unreasonable or excessively expensive. It also authorizes the commissioner to require any town or regional board of education applying for a school construction project grant to conduct a safety assessment of the project to measure compliance with the SSIS. The town or regional board must use either an assessment tool the commissioner designates or an alternative the commissioner determines, which must provide a comparable safety and security assessment. 


The SSIS include surveillance upgrades, improvements to school entry points and the development of emergency notification systems. A panel of police officers, educators, engineers and state leaders collaborated on the new requirements, which will apply to all new school construction approved for funding by the legislature after June 2014.
“If the events of the recent past have taught us anything, it is that state government must use its collective resources more wisely and with greater purpose,” the commission wrote in their February 2014 report. “By tying state school construction investments to local compliance with widely agreed upon security standards, state government can help achieve the goal of more secure schools through the use of preventative infrastructure design techniques.”
State school security funding also received a boost from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy earlier in the year when the governor announced the dedication of $10 million in school security grants, and the expansion of funding eligibility to all public schools.

“Providing safe learning environments for our students and educators is a basic responsibility of state and local governments,” Malloy said in the January funding announcement.

The governor also secured $21 million to support school security projects in 111 schools districts in 2013. However, that first round of funding was open to district-run community and magnet schools only.

The post Connecticut Funds School Construction, Security appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.

The post Connecticut Funds School Construction, Security appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.

Nelba Marquez-Greene, SHP’s Director of Mental Health and Relational Wellness, said in a statement that, although mental illness does not cause gun violence, it remains more than an occasional factor. “A holistic solution is needed to address the problem of gun violence, and looking at mental illness and general mental wellness are critical parts of the solution,” said Marquez-Greene.

According to a release issued by the group, “This funding will advance critical prevention efforts, providing training to teachers, providing services to students and young people at risk, and increasing the availability of trained behavioral health professionals.” Marquez-Greene adds that, “This is the first step…but we go forward in 2014 with hope, knowing that we have been heard, and as a result, lives may be saved.”

The bill passed the Senate easily by a 72 to 26 vote and includes multiple mental health allocations. It dedicates $15 million to Mental Health First Aid grants, training teachers to recognize early signs of mental illness so they can refer students and families to treatment. An additional $40 million was earmarked for Project Aware. This particular project will provide grants for comprehensive programs in up to 1,500 schools to link students with mental health issues to needed services. A program aimed at young adults at high risk of mental illness will also be developed using $20 million of the available funds.

The bill will also expand behavioral health workforce training opportunities. As a result of this new funding, an estimated 4,375 social workers, psychologists, therapists and other health professionals could be added to the workforce. Meanwhile, a $484 million investment in Mental Health Block Grants now directs states to use 5 percent of their Block Grants for early intervention programs for those with serious mental illness. This is anticipated to decrease the delay between the first onset of symptoms and people receiving necessary treatment. An additional $46 million and $65 million have been earmarked for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and suicide prevention programming respectively.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) also applauded the vote. “Expanding access to mental health services is one of the single most important steps we can take to prevent gun violence,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “Expanding access to these services…will help ensure that those who are dangerously mentally ill get the help they need before they hurt themselves or others.”

Sandy Hook Promise is a national, non-profit organization spearheaded by members of the Newtown community. The group’s mission is “to prevent the causes of gun violence by education and empowering parents to make changes in their community,” and to provide support to affected members of the Sandy Hook community.

The post Sandy Hook Promise Applauds Mental Health Appropriations appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.

The post Sandy Hook Promise Applauds Mental Health Appropriations appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.

With the release of these additional funds, roughly $21 million has now been dedicated to school safety through the issuing of state bonds. In a statement, Malloy said, “This allows us to continue to get resources out to the cities and towns that have begun work to modernize their security infrastructure, and ramp up safety procedures at school buildings.” He also said added funding and security will never be able to prevent every random act of violence, but that the administration and schools can take additional steps to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

In a release issued by the governor’s office, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman said, “So many of our cities and towns have decided that security must be stepped up at their schools, and I believe state government has an obligation to assist them in doing that. This funding is an invest that will help protect our children and give them the safe learning environment they deserve.”

“Public safety is a core function in our government,” added Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Commissioner Reuben F. Bradford, in a statement. “These additional funds show the commitment and investment Governor Malloy has made to our children and educators and is another vital step in strengthening the infrastructure of our schools, while maintaining a welcoming learning environment.”

DESPP officials have received applications for the installation of surveillance cameras, bulletproof glass, electric locks, buzzer and card entry system, panic alarms and other security tools. All funding and reimbursements will be administered by the DESPP and the Department of Construction Services, and were allocated based on school security assessment surveys conducted by the local districts. The governor’s statement added that another round of funding will be announced soon.

Connecticut Department of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor was also pleased with the funding announcement. “Providing safe learning environments for students and educators is a collective responsibility shared by the state, municipalities, local districts and the community,” he said in a statement. “We are grateful to the Governor, the General Assembly, and our partner state agencies for continuing to recognize the importance of this aid to enhancing the safety of our schools.”

The post Connecticut Provides $16 Million Boost in School Safety Funding appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.

The post Connecticut Provides $16 Million Boost in School Safety Funding appeared first on 91ÊÓƵ.