18th District

$5.46M in school safety and mental health grants announced

Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-18th, announced $5.46 million in school safety and security grants and school mental health grants awarded to local educational agencies in the Lehigh Valley, including the East Penn and Salisbury Township school districts.

“It is so important that we invest in the safety of our children, both with security and mental health services. This is over $5 million in direct investment for our area schools. I am so proud we could make this happen,” Boscola said in a recent news release.

Grants were made in two separate categories, school safety and security and school mental health.

East Penn School District received a total of $456,897 and Salisbury Township School District received a total of $250,049, according to the news release.

Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus received a total of $140,000. The Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit also received $140,000.

The following is a list of some of the schools and educational agencies in the current 18th District to receive funds. The first figure given is the school safety and security award, the second is the school mental health grant and the third is the total amount awarded.

•East Penn School District, Lehigh County, $228,448; $228,448; $456,897

•Salisbury Township School District, Lehigh County, $125,024; $125,024; $250,049

•Carbon-Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21, Lehigh County, $70,000; $70,000; $140,000

•Seven Generations Charter School, Lehigh County, $70,000; $70,000; $140,000

•Colonial Intermediate Unit 20, Northampton County, $70,000; $70,000; $140,000

•Bethlehem AVTS, Northampton County, $70,000, $70,000; $140,000

•Career Institute of Technology, Northampton County, $70,000; $70,000; $140,000

•Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School, Northampton County, $70,000; $70,000; $140,000

•Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, Northampton County, $70,000; $70,000; $140,000

The program was made possible by Act 44 of 2018, co-sponsored by Boscola, which established the School Safety and Security Committee within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Per Act 44, school districts, intermediate units, area vocational-technical schools, charter schools and private residential rehabilitation institutions were eligible to apply up to a maximum of $6 million to support one or more activities allowed by the statute.

Activities and items allowed include performing school safety assessments; purchasing security-related technology and equipment; supporting school safety-related and behavioral-health trainings; preparing all-hazards plans; hiring school resource officers, school police officers, school counselors, social workers and school psychologists providing for trauma-informed approaches to education.

“This program has been successful in helping our schools upgrade their physical security and it was important that we spearhead that mission by also dedicating funds to mental health services for students as well. Thankfully we’re able to make significant investments in that this budget cycle,” Boscola said in the news release.

Boscola supported enhanced funding for the program in the state budget, through Act 55 of 2022.

The Act allocated a total of $190 million toward the programs: $95 million for school safety and security grants and $95 million for school mental health grants.

The updates to the law expanded the scope to allow eligible entities to apply for funds to address mental health.