Surrounded by students and staff at Cedar Elementary School in Avon, Gov. Mike Pence announced more than $9 million in grant funding to local schools and school corporations through the Secured School Safety Grant Program. The Indiana Secured School Safety Board approved the grants.
“The safety of the students, teachers, and administrators in our schools is of the utmost importance to the people of Indiana, and I count it a privilege to distribute these resources to schools across our state,” Governor Pence said. “These grants will allow our public schools and school corporations to add resources that will help secure our schools so they can focus on educating our students.”
The program is a dedicated state grant fund that provides matching grants to school corporations, charter schools, or coalitions of school corporations and/or charter schools applying jointly to:
- Employ a school resource officer (SRO)
- Conduct a threat assessment
- Purchase equipment to restrict access to the school or expedite the notification of first responders.
School corporations, charter schools, or coalitions with an average daily membership (ADM) of at least 1,000 students applied for grants up to $50,000 per year. Eligible entities with an ADM of less than 1,000 students applied for grants of up to $35,000 per year.
The members of the Secured School Safety Grant Program are Mary Allen, Director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute; Eric Bowlen, Principal at Ronald K. Bell East-Middle School of Martinsville; Doug Carter, Superintendent of the Indiana State Police; Mike Eslinger, Sheriff of Parke County; John Hill, Director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security; Scott Reske, Executive Director of Public and Governmental Affairs for the Indiana Department of Education; and Greg Zoeller, Attorney General.
Here is the Marion County and school or corporation breakdown of the grant funding amount and purpose of those funds.
- Andrew J. Brown Academy received $6,880 for school security equipment.
- Beech Grove City Schools received $35,000 for school security equipment.
- Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School received $10,000 for school security equipment, a threat assessment, and to employ an SRO.
- Damar Charter Academy received $35,000 for school security equipment, a threat assessment, and to employ an SRO.
- EdPower Arlington received $35,000 for school security equipment and to employ an SRO.
- Emma Donnan Middle School (CSUSA Donnan) received $25,000 to employ an SRO.
- Herron High School received $35,000 for school security equipment.
- Indiana School for the Deaf received $35,000 for school security equipment.
- Irvington Community School received $34,300 for school security equipment and a threat assessment.
- KIPP Indianapolis College Preparatory received $25,000 for school security equipment.
- MSD Decatur Township received $50,000 for school security equipment.
- MSD Perry Township received $50,000 for school security equipment.
- MSD Warren Township received $50,000 for school security equipment and to employ an SRO.
- MSD Washington Township received $50,000 to employ an SRO.
- MSD Wayne Township received $23,134.03 to employ an SRO.
- Padua Academy Charter School Received $17,504 for school security equipment.
- Paramount School of Excellence received $17,500 for school security equipment.
- School Town of Speedway received $44,000 to employ an SRO.
- Southeast Neighborhood School of Excellence received $20,000 to employ an SRO.
- Thomas Carr Howe Community High School (CSUSA Howe) received $30,000 for school security equipment and to employ an SRO.
- Tindley Collegiate Academy received $10,000 for school security equipment, a threat assessment, and to employ an SRO.
- Tindley Preparatory Academy received $10,000 for school security equipment, a threat assessment, and to employ an SRO.
- Tindley Renaissance Academy received $10,000 for school security equipment, a threat assessment, and to employ an SRO.
