Lower Merion School District Gets $248K In Safety Funding

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — The Lower Merion School District got a cut of school safety funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Funds come from the School Safety and Security Committee under the commission.

The committee approved $47 million in competitive school safety and security grants to improve safety, security, and mental health supports for students and staff at schools across the state.

Funding allocations announced recently complete the $155 million school safety grants program package appropriated in the bipartisan 2023-24 budget and issued by the committee in January 2024.

The Lower Merion School District is getting $248,127 in funding.

Of those funds, $45,000 is coming in the form of a meritorious grant ward and $203,127 by way of a mental health grant award.

According to the state, the Noncompetitive School Mental Health Grant program is a $90 million grant program for school districts, charter schools, area career and technical centers, and intermediate units to support school-based mental health and behavioral health supports, including counselors and resources for students.

The Formula-Based School Safety and Security Meritorious Grant program is a $18.6 million grant program provided to all Pennsylvania school districts for physical security enhancements and/or mental/behavioral health needs.

"As a father, I understand how much Pennsylvania parents care about keeping their kids safe at school and healthy in body and mind," Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, chair of PCCD and the SSSC, said. "Our kids are facing so many pressures, and our schools are dealing with significant challenges. The Shapiro-Davis Administration is committed to making sure our schools have the resources they need to keep their facilities secure from threats and provide the mental health services and support that our kids need."