Northern Tier News

Nine public school entities in Bradford County have received School Safety and Mental Health Grants, according to state representatives Tina Pickett and Clint Owlett. The funding aims to enhance security systems and provide behavioral health programs in local schools.

Pickett emphasized the importance of student safety, stating, "Ensuring the safety of students, faculty and staff is critical, and these state grants will help in that regard by upgrading security systems and providing behavioral health programs in our local schools." She expressed her support for initiatives that make Pennsylvania's schools safer.

Owlett highlighted the necessity of a secure environment for educational success. "For our students to succeed in school, they must feel safe and supported," he said. "These grants are an important tool in helping achieve that goal, and I am pleased to see this funding coming to our area schools."

The recipients of the grants include Athens Area School District with $138,237; BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 receiving $70,000; Canton Area School District awarded $115,730; Northeast Bradford School District with $112,760; Northern Tier Career Center getting $70,000; Sayre Area School District awarded $117,241; Towanda Area School District receiving $128,238; Troy Area School District granted $126,374; and Wyalusing Area School District obtaining $123,445.

These noncompetitive grants were approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. In total, it has allocated $100 million statewide across various educational institutions. An additional nearly $20 million was distributed through competitive safety grants to 367 nonpublic schools. This funding is part of a larger $120 million school safety grants program included in the bipartisan 2024-25 state budget approved by the General Assembly.