Burns secures $502,124 for school security, safety initiatives
Lawmaker: Grants will fund total approach to school safety
Rep. Frank Burns February 26, 2020 | 4:18 PM
EBENSBURG, Feb. 26 – Firm in his belief that no child should ever have to fear for their safety at school, Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today announced more than $500,000 in grants for Cambria County school districts to institute new safety measures.
“My heart breaks whenever I hear about another tragedy in a school. If these safety measures can prevent one incident, save one life or stop one evildoer, then I consider them a success,” said Burns, who has helped secure close to $700,000 in grants for school safety since 2018. “We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to school safety, and this is one way we are working toward that goal.”
Among the grants announced today were numerous school resource officer and security officer support grants, as well as a $202,000 grant to Penn Cambria, part of which will fund a school police officer position.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our children, and the best way to secure our kids is to make sure there’re trained professionals standing tall to keep them safe,” Burns said. “The best way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
In addition to the police officer position, the grants awarded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will help fund training programs, additional safety equipment, including communications systems, safety reviews, and other school safety initiatives.
The grants awarded to Cambria County school districts Thursday include:
- Cambria Heights School District
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$35,000
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- Central Cambria School District
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$35,000
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- Conemaugh Valley School District
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$30,000
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- Ferndale Area School District
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$30,000
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- Forest Hills School District
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$35,000
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- Greater Johnstown School District
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$40,000
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- Northern Cambria School District
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$30,000
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- Penn Cambria School District
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$202,124
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- Portage Area School District
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$30,000
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- Westmont Hilltop School District
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$35,000
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Well known for his leadership in anti-bullying initiatives, Burns has also supported legislation to improve school safety across the commonwealth, including the legislation that created the school safety grant program, and last year led a Pennsylvania House Northwest Delegation initiative that led to a review of the commonwealth’s school safety policy to ensure that school resource officers and security guards could carry firearms.
More information about the school safety grant program is available here: www.pccd.pa.gov/schoolsafety/Pages/default.aspx.