Indy Standard

Wells County schools have recently received over $123,000 for safety upgrades through the state's Secured School Safety Grant Program. This initiative is supported by State Representatives Matt Lehman (R-Berne) and Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash).

Lehman noted that this funding comes from the state's biennial budget passed in 2023, which allocated significant resources to school safety. In total, 499 schools across Indiana's 92 counties have benefited from $24 million in state matching grants.

"Having our students and staff feel safe while at school is a top priority," Lehman stated. "Secured School Safety Grants give administrators the ability to make much-needed security updates like adding school resource officers, and upgrading building security and technology."

The specific allocations for area schools are as follows:

- Bluffton-Harrison MSD: $26,779

- Northern Wells Community Schools: $62,058

- Southern Wells Community Schools: $34,701

Sweet emphasized that these funds can be utilized for various safety needs such as support for resource officers, equipment and technology enhancements, active-event warning systems, threat assessments, and student and parent support services programs.

"School security is much more than installing new security systems and it's great to see so many schools using the grants to support school resource officers," Sweet remarked. "These funds help each school address their unique needs and improve their ability to keep students and faculty safe."

Since its inception in 2013, Indiana has allocated $187 million for school safety matching grants.

For more information on the Secured School Safety Grant Program and Indiana's efforts to enhance school safety, visit the state's school safety hub at in.gov/schoolsafety.