Burns announces $160,000 in state funds for Portage Area School District
Funds to be used to support school safety initiatives
Rep. Frank Burns May 1, 2019 | 1:36 PM
HARRISBURG, May 1 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today announced nearly $160,000 in state funds have been awarded to the Portage Area School District to address school safety and security efforts.
Burns said the $159,964 in state funds were awarded through a grant from the state’s School Safety and Security Committee, which is part of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Act 44 of 2018 resulted in the creation of this committee, which is responsible for developing the criteria schools are to use in performing school safety and security assessments.
“These state dollars are a wise and proactive investment in our students’ safety,” Burns said. “Schools can use these funds to provide counseling services for students, invest in security-related technology and provide training for school staff on safety-related violence prevention efforts.”
The funds can also be used for other violence-prevention programs within schools, including risk assessments, classroom management, conflict resolution, or dispute management initiatives, Burns added.
More information about the grants can be found at this link: https://www.pccd.pa.gov/schoolsafety/Pages/default.aspx