Indy Standard

Montgomery County schools recently received over $112,000 for safety upgrades through the state's Secured School Safety Grant Program, supported by area lawmakers.

State Rep. Beau Baird (R-Greencastle) stated that the funding is part of the state's biennial budget passed in 2023, which made significant investments in school safety. A total of 499 schools across Indiana's 92 counties received $24 million in state matching grants.

"School safety remains a top priority, and this funding will go a long way in helping local schools step up security in a variety of ways," Baird said. "These grants provide vital support, from funding resource officers to upgrading technology, giving schools the flexibility they need to address their unique needs."

The grants awarded to area schools include:

- Crawfordsville Community Schools: $40,500

- North Montgomery Community School Corp.: $38,070

- South Montgomery Community School Corp.: $33,777

State Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) mentioned that funds could be used for various safety needs such as support for resource officers, equipment and technology, active-event warning systems, threat assessments, and student and parent support services programs.

"Students and staff need to feel safe in order to have an effective learning environment," Thompson said. "As demonstrated by this year's list of grant recipients, many schools across the state are using this program to enact measures and install technology to keep their buildings and campuses secure."

State Rep. Sharon Negele (R-Attica) highlighted that Indiana has allocated $187 million for school safety matching grants since the program started in 2013.

"Many schools do not have the funds or resources to keep up with improvements and new security plans needed to keep our students safe," Negele said. "Secured School Safety Grants are just one of Indiana's ways of protecting our most vulnerable as they learn and grow."

To learn more about the Secured School Safety Grant Program and what Indiana is doing to keep schools safe, visit the state's school safety hub at in.gov/schoolsafety.

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