With school safety in the headlines, it's worth noting that Morgan County schools just got a cash injection to bolster their defenses. Over $340,000 is flowing into the area via the state's Secured School Safety Grant Program—a financial boost reported by State Reps. Craig Haggard (R-Mooresville) and Peggy Mayfield (R-Martinsville).
Part of a broader initiative that saw the state legislature splash out $27 million on school safety, the funds, said Haggard, came with the backdrop of legislative moves to nestle the Office of School Safety within the Department of Homeland Security. Here, at Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee meetings, Haggard noted, is where his heart lies—with the children and their safety. "We all want our children to be safe at school," he emphasized, signaling a rally for secure learning spaces—a comment obtained by Indiana House Republicans.
The funding is earmarking various schools for specific sums; Eminence Community School Corp. bags $31,912 and Mooresville Consolidated School Corp. fetches an identical check to MSD Martinsville Schools of $92,500. Others, like Mooresville Christian Academy and Tabernacle Christian School, are getting $12,519 and $32,375 respectively. Each dollar allocated has the potential to tweak the fabric of safety on these grounds—a change silently championed by each grant.
School safety, as Mayfield puts it, hangs on the right mixture of prep work and tangible resources. "Keeping our schools safe requires both preparation and the right resources," she declared; funds which will flow into the coffers for resource officers, gear, high-tech solutions, and support systems for staff and students alike. And as Indiana's state matched grants soar north of $214 million since 2013, it's evident this commitment is more marathon than sprint—a sentiment echoed by the remarks of Mayfield captured by Indiana House Republicans.
