In a significant boost to school safety measures, LaPorte County schools are to receive a substantial state-funded grant aimed at security improvements. According to Indiana House Republicans, more than $418,000 has been earmarked for these vital upgrades via the state's Secured School Safety Grant Program.
State Representatives Jim Pressel and Jake Teshka have underlined the grants as part of a broader $27 million investment that Indiana's state legislature has made this year, with funds going to make up to 494 schools across the state safer. In efforts to centralize school security, legislators have also pushed forward a bill to permanently locate the Office of School Safety within the Department of Homeland Security. Pressel told Indiana House Republicans, "These grants provide schools with the additional support needed to ensure safe and secure facilities."
Among the schools set to benefit from the grant are several institutions including La Lumiere School, which is to receive $6,290; LaPorte Community School Corp. with a grant of $72,686; and Michigan City Area Schools, which are to see an injection of $69,375 for their safety protocols. These grants are also to extend in support of a wide spectrum of security needs ranging from the provision for resource officers to the implementation of active event warning systems.
Jake Teshka, a member of the House Education Committee, emphasized the state's commitment to prioritizing school safety by partnering with local education authorities and remarked to Indiana House Republicans, "Indiana continues to prioritize school safety, partnering with local schools to make sure they are getting the resources they need to keep students safe." Since the inception of the Secured School Safety Grant Program in 2013, the state has plowed more than $214 million into school safety through these matching grants.
For further details about the Secured School Safety Grant Program and Indiana’s ongoing efforts to bolster school security, interested parties can visit the state's dedicated school safety hub.
