The 2018-2019 Safe Schools Targeted Grant Request for Application opportunity will open on May 14, 2018.

TITLE 24 P.S. EDUCATION ARTICLE XIII-a. SAFE SCHOOLS. 24 P.S. §13-1302-A authorizes the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools to make targeted grants to school entities to fund programs which address school violence.  These grants provide for School Resource and Police Officers, Safety Equipment, and Programs/Trainings.

Applications will be accepted from May 14, 2018 through July 31, 2018. School entities must submit their application through the department’s eGrant system, at www.grants.pa.gov.

• School entities are defined under 24 P.S. § 222 (c) as a public school district, charter school, cyber charter school or area vocational-technical school;
• Nonpublic schools are eligible to apply for school police officers; and
• Police agencies and municipalities must submit their application through the mail since there is no access to the eGrant system.

Targeted grants shall be allocated through a competitive grant review process established by the office. School entities must satisfy the requirements of this section and section 1303-A of the PA School Code to be eligible for grants. The application for a targeted grant shall include:

a) The purpose for which the targeted grant shall be utilized;

b) Information indicating need for the targeted grant, including, but not limited to, school violence statistics;

c) An estimated budget;

d) Methods for measuring outcomes; and

e) Any other criteria as the office may require.

The office shall:

a) Give priority in grant funding under subsection (c) to a school entity designated as a persistently dangerous school as defined in 22 Pa. Code § 403.2 (relating to definitions).

b) Give priority in grant funding under subsection (c) to school entities with the greatest need to establish safety and order.

c) To the greatest extent possible, ensure that grant funding is geographically dispersed to school entities and municipalities throughout this Commonwealth; and

d) For school entities, municipalities, local law enforcement agencies, and nonpublic schools that apply for funding for the training and compensation of school resource officers and school police officers under subsection (c.1), give priority to school entities, municipalities, local law enforcement agencies and nonpublic schools that utilize school resource officers or school police officers who have completed additional training recommended by the Department of Education relating to interaction with all children and adolescents within a school setting. 

All information regarding the targeted grants can be found at:

http://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Safe%20Schools/Pages/Safe-Schools-Targeted-Grants.aspx

Contact:  Russell Alves, eGrant Administrator

Office for Safe Schools, Pennsylvania Department of Education

(717) 783-6777

ralves@pa.gov