Pulaski County schools benefiting from more than $100,000 in grant funding

Pulaski County schools will be receiving $110,099 in grant funding for future projects, all for the use of school safety. 
The Indiana Secured School Board recently approved more than $19 million in matching state grant funds as part of the Secured School Safety Grant program (SSSG). With the matching funds required by schools, more than $35 million will be invested in school safety this year in Indiana. Locally, Eastern Pulaski Community School Corporation was awarded $10,099 while West Central School Corporation was awarded $100,000. 
Every school that applied for FY20 funds has received notification that their top priority requests were fully funded for all eligible items. 
“Indiana remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of Hoosier schools,” said Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. “I’m proud this critical grant program can meet the top safety needs of school districts across the state. This is the latest evolution of how our state partners with local schools to address this issue and help parents, students and staff feel safe and secure each day.”
The SSSG issues matching grants for eligible items and then schools match those funds at a certain level, either 25%, 50% or 100%. The match requirement is based on average daily membership of the school district, the total amount of the project or what the request covers.
“The focus on school-safety initiatives in Indiana continues to grow each year, and thankfully the funding was on hand to support every school (applicant) in some capacity,” said Rusty Goodpaster, director of the Secured School Board. “Schools were asked to identify their top priority in their district, and the board approved matching grants for all of those eligible projects.”
Eligible items in the grant include funding for school resource officers (SROs) and law enforcement officers in schools; equipment and technology; active event warning systems (no matching requirement); firearms training for teachers and staff that choose to allow guns on school property; threat assessments and to implement a student and parent support services program.
West Central Superintendent Dan Zylstra said this is the third or fourth year the corporation has received a safety grant. This year, the funding will be used to replace the doors in the interior doors in the elementary school and some in the middle and high school.