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Raatz Roundup: Local schools provided Secured School Safety Grants

THE RAATZ ROUNDUP
Submitted for use on Sept. 12, 2022
Word Count: 271

Local schools provided
Secured School Safety Grants

By State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond)

Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our children. This is why, in Indiana, ensuring funding for school safety remains a high priority.

Expanded in 2019 by the Indiana General Assembly, the Indiana Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) program is a matching grant program that helps improve security in Hoosier K-12 schools.

Since its establishment in 2013, the fund has distributed $132.9 million to help nearly every school district across the state better prepare for and address potential security threats.

This year, the Indiana Secured School Safety Board approved more than $22.9 million in matching state grants to 425 schools across the state, which is the highest single-year investment in school safety for the largest pool of applicants. Grant recipients can be viewed on the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's website.

Grants have been and can be used to fund the following safety initiatives:

  • Purchasing safety equipment and technology;
  • Employing a school resource officer or law enforcement officer;
  • Conducting threat assessments of school property;
  • Providing firearm training or self-defense training;
  • Purchasing equipment that restricts access to the school or helps expedite the notification of first responders;
  • Supporting the implementation of a student and parent support services program for at-risk students; or
  • Funding the one-time startup costs of an active alert warning system.

The SSSG program works to ensure schools in Indiana are kept as safe as possible, and it is reassuring to see the program continue to assist schools in improving their security measures.

If you have any questions or concerns on these or other topics, feel free to contact me at Senator.Raatz@iga.in.gov or 317-233-0930.

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