Local Schools Awarded Security Grants Up To $50K Each

Ever southeastern Indiana public school district is receiving money from the state to improve safety.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Indiana schools are being awarded $14 million to improve school security.

Earlier this year, Indiana lawmakers boosted funding for the Indiana Secured School Safety Grant Fund by $5 million in the wake of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Local school corporations are among the 388 schools statewide sharing in the funding announced Monday by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

Receiving the maximum grant amounts of $50,000 are Batesville, Franklin County, Lawrenceburg, Milan, South Dearborn, Sunman-Dearborn, and Switzerland County schools. South Ripley Schools will receive $40,000. Rising Sun and Jac-Cen-Del are each awarded $35,000.

The money can be used for building safety improvements or hiring school resource officers. To get the grants, schools have to provide a 50 percent match.

“Indiana continues to be national leader in the safety and preparedness of our schools,” said Bryan Langley, board chair and executive director of the IDHS. “With support from Governor Holcomb and legislators, this funding will help continue that trend to support schools as they plan and implement safety measures that protect students, educators, administrators and visitors.”

Also, Indiana schools will be able to get metal detectors at no cost. Governor Eric Holcomb made the announcement yesterday in a video posted to Facebook. He describes the detectors as handheld wands.

Schools can request one metal detector for every 250 students. 

“Controlling what comes into our school buildings is just one important part of keeping our schools safe, and our efforts to assist school corporations must be ongoing and evolving,” Holcomb said. “Local officials are best positioned to determine their school safety needs and the measures that make sense for their students and communities, and—for many—these handheld metal detectors could make a substantial difference.”

The governor and state lawmakers could allocate more funding or policy aimed at improving school security in the 2019 legislative session. Last April, Holcomb convened a school safety task force to develop recommendations, which are due in August.