Walnut Grove, Sparta among 169 Missouri districts awarded school safety grants Monday
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Gov. Mike Parson announced Monday that 169 districts and charter schools in Missouri will receive grants from the newly created School Safety Grant Program.
In the competitive grant process, the largest districts could apply for up to $900,000, although no one received that maximum amount this cycle.
“Improving the safety and security of our schools is an issue we can all support, and these grants help ensure our schools remain safe environments for Missouri children to learn,” Parson said in a news release distributed by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“While threats of violence are something we never want to see in our classrooms, we must be prepared and have proper resources and response plans in place.”
Walnut Grove was the only district in Greene County to receive a grant and it was worth $50,000. Sparta, the only recipient in Christian County, will receive $150,000.
"Thank you on behalf of Sparta schools, our staff and students, for making safety a top priority and for making improvements possible," said Sparta Superintendent Landon Gray.
Gray said a team of school leaders including the school resource officer met to determine top priorities. The district was awarded the full amount it requested.
The upgrades will include applying protective film on the glass near main entry doors and windows, extra locks for classrooms that do not have a secondary locking system, internal and external cameras, bus camera systems, and additional automatic external defibrillator or AED machines.
"We are also looking at possible access control for entryway within our high school," Gray said.
He noted without the funds, the district would not be able to make the changes so quickly.
The grant program, part of the governor's fiscal year 2023 request, included $20 million to support school safety improvements including physical upgrades and associated technology.
Here are the largest grant amounts awarded to districts this year:
$450,000 − Northwest
$400,000 − Carthage, Webb City and Riverview Gardens
$398,200 − Fort Osage
$353,490 − Sedalia
$350,000 − Festus
$300,000 − North St. Francois
$299,880 − Bolivar
$250,000 − St. Clair, Oak Grove, Kipp St. Louis, Desoto
Parson's budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal years includes an additional $50 million and must be approved by the General Assembly.
“Funding to support safety helps ensure schools remain among the safest places for our students,” Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven said, in a release. “These grant funds to support the physical safety of schools are an important part of ensuring our students have a safe environment for learning and growing.”
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Walnut Grove, Sparta among MO districts awarded school safety grants
