Grants aim to improve school safety

Gov. Mike Pence announced Friday more than $9 million in grants will be distributed to Indiana schools to increase security.

The program will provide matching grants to school corporations, charter schools or coalitions of school corporations to employ a school resource officer, conduct a threat assessment and purchase equipment according to a press release from Pence’s office.

Entities with an average daily membership of at least 1,000 students applied for grants up to $50,000, and entities with less than 1,000 students applied for grants up to $35,000 per year.

“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,” Pence said in the release.

The Monroe County Community School Corporation received $30,940 to employ a school resource officer, and the Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation, also in Monroe County, received $50,000 to employ a school resource officer.

— Matt Stefanski