4 Acadiana school systems to get funds to improve security
Four Acadiana public school systems are receiving more than $500,000 each to help secure school perimeters by reinforcing single-points of entry, the Louisiana Department of Education announced in a release.
The state is allocating more than $21 million across 39 traditional public and public charter systems statewide, including four public systems in the Acadiana region. Each system is receiving $518,355, with a total of nearly $2.1 million going to the Acadiana districts.
“School safety is multifaceted and a way of life” said State Superintendent Cade Brumley in a release. “We are encouraged by the proposals submitted and pleased to bolster security measures at local campuses.”
The funding through LDOE's Stronger Connections Grant program comes from the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, which provided $1 billion in funding for states. The gun control measure was passed in the wake of the devastating school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two teachers dead.
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The four systems in Acadiana slated to receive funding are the Iberia Parish School District, the St. Landry Parish School Board, the St. Martin Parish School District and the Vermilion Parish School System.
Access control, which includes locked entry points and single-point of entry, has been promoted as a school safety best practice in the past several years. The projects that can be funded with the grants include surveillance cameras, metal detectors, other physical security equipment or minor remodeling. LDOE is also encouraging the systems to get feedback from educators, parents and the community on school safety.
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“The Stronger Connections Grant program provides direct assistance to school systems to make K-12 campuses more secure,” said Holly Boffy, the president of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Now more than ever, systems must meet the challenge of reinforcing the security of their facilities, and the state’s allocation of federal dollars to strengthen school perimeters is a key piece of the solution to ensure a safe and secure environment for our students and school employees.”
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This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: 4 Acadiana school systems to get funds to improve security
