New Bill Could Provide Major School Safety Funding

School safety is of the utmost importance for everyone in our communities as well as employees of a school district.

We send our children to these institutions to receive an education believing that this place is a safe haven for all who are involved in the development and learning of our young ones. The recent tragedies that have occurred across the United States and in particular, Sandy Hook, remind us that even the young and innocent are often the target of some mentally disturbed individuals.

Last week, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), which would provide targeted grants to Commonwealth schools in order to address the issue of school violence and improve school safety statewide. In particular, the legislation would further enhance the current Safe Schools Grant program offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) by dedicating grant funding to school entities for the following purposes:

• Training and hiring of armed guards
• Security planning, risk assessments, violence prevention initiatives, conflict resolution and dispute management programs
• Purchasing of security-related devices such as metal detectors, surveillance equipment, electronic locks and deadbolts
• Conducting emergency preparedness drills and related activities with local emergency responders

Currently, the Safe School Targeted Grants line item in the state budget is roughly $500,000 a year. SB 10 would significantly increase the allocation to approximately $10 million per year. Of the $10 million earmark, 60 percent of the grant money would be used to help schools train and pay school resource officers, and the remaining 40 percent would be used for emergency planning and violence-prevention programs.

In February, the Senate Education and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committees held a hearing on the issue of school safety and violence prevention. Among the testifiers who support and encourage the passage of SB 10 include the state Fraternal Order of Police, the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. 

SB 10 represents an important first step in addressing the issue of violence in our schools and working to prevent another Sandy Hook from occurring. I am proud to join the hundreds of parents, teachers, school administrators, principals, superintendents and public safety officials across Pennsylvania who have asked the Legislature to do something to help protect and avert more innocent lives from being lost. School violence is not a partisan issue, and the General Assembly must continue to work together and with stakeholders across the state by authoring enabling legislation and providing critical grant funding to school districts so that we can achieve the ultimate goal of keeping our children safe while at school.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.  

Senator Wayne D. Fontana

42nd Senatorial District

www.senatorfontana.com