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Schools use money to make facilities safer

By Natalie Bruzda nbruzda@heraldstandard.Com 3 min read

State grant money has been awarded to several area school districts to help education officials make the academic facilities safer.

Brownsville Area, Uniontown Area and Frazier school districts have received the maximum $25,000 grant under the Safe Schools Targeted Grant program.

Brownsville Area School District officials are using their funding to add four building cameras in the high school and middle school and to update seven DVRs as well as its wiring system.

“These upgrades are essential,” said Dr. Philip J. Savini Jr., superintendent. “We’ll be able to see pictures much more clearly in the schools, and around the property, and we’ll be able to identify people more quickly, and react to issues much more quickly.”

Savini said the wiring updates will enable district officials to view everything from one central location once the new elementary school is built.

“It will be much more exact,” he said. “I think it’s going to enhance security tremendously.”

In the Uniontown Area School District, business manager Jill Regan said the grant funding will be used to purchase equipment from Hall Pass — a company that will supply the district with web cameras, work stations, scanners, printers, and software that will be used to screen all visitors to the district’s eight buildings during school hours.

“It will immediately tell us if an individual is a sex offender or on the district ‘restricted’ list by scanning their drivers license or state issued identification,” Regan said.

“An email and text message will then be sent to the proper school authorities warning that the individual is entering the building. It will also print an ID badge for any visitor that is cleared through the system to wear while visiting the building. These badges will include a photo of the individual along with the date and time.”

Regan said the district is in the process of purchasing the equipment needed for the system to function, as well as developing a policy for use, and training the individuals who will be using the system.

Laurel Highlands School District also received a grant under the program in the amount of $20,781.

“The goal of our grant application was to retain students in the traditional high school setting rather than an alternative education placement,” said Eric Gaydos, director of federal programs and assistant to curriculum. “The goal is to ultimately support academic and social learning, and to provide curriculum to support these students.”

Statewide, $2.6 million was awarded to 123 schools for safety training and equipment. More than 180 public schools in the commonwealth applied for the funding.

The grants can be used to fund a variety of program areas, including conflict resolution or dispute management, research-based violence prevention and staff training in de-escalation techniques.

The goals of the program are to help reduce unnecessary student disciplinary actions, provide professional development to faculty and enhance anti-violence efforts throughout the community.

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