HARRISBURG, March 10, 2014 – State Sen. Anthony H. Williams today said three school systems in his district will receive grants totaling $75,000 to help them take steps to improve the protection and safety of their students.
The Safe Schools Targeted Grants help school administrators create and execute plans designed to reduce and prevent violence. One-hundred-ten districts throughout Pennsylvania received a total of $2.6 million this year under the program.
“Unfortunately, schools are not always the safest places for our children, but they should be,” said Sen. Williams, who has demonstrated a long-time commitment to reducing violence in schools and improving the safety of students. “These Safe Schools grants will make it easier for schools in Philadelphia and Delaware counties, and throughout the commonwealth, to make sure students are focused on academics, not who might be planning to threaten their school with violence.”
The Philadelphia and the William Penn school district are each receiving $25,000 Safe Schools Targeted Grants, while the Southeast Delco School District is getting $22,000.
Grants were awarded following a competitive application process administered by the state Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools.
Districts may spend the money to address school violence through some of the following:
- Conflict resolution or dispute management,
- Peer helpers programs,
- Risk assessment or violence prevention curricula,
- Classroom management,
- Student codes of conduct,
- Development and implementation of research-based violence prevention programs that address risk factors, including bullying, and
- Comprehensive, district-wide school safety and violence prevention plans.
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