Gov. Tom Wolf announced that The School Safety and Security Committee within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency has approved the opening of two funding announcements totaling $157.5 million that school entities are immediately eligible to apply for to address COVID-19-related health and safety needs for the 2020-2021 school year. Information about the grants and the application process can be found on the PCCD’s School Safety and Security webpage.
“Schools have had to bear a significant operational and financial burden in responding to COVID-19,” said Wolf. “With the safety and well-being of students at the forefront of their response, this funding is intended to ease some of that burden.”
With the recent passage of Act 20 of 2020 on June 5, a total of $150 million in federal CARES Act funding was transferred to PCCD to be distributed to school districts, area career and technical centers, intermediate units, charter schools, regional charter schools and cyber charter schools to support COVID-19 Disaster Emergency School Health and Safety Grants. Awards are to be made to over 770 eligible school entities per the formula distribution included in Act 30.
Another $7.5 million was allocated to PCCD to support COVID-19 Disaster Emergency Targeted School Health and Safety Grants for the 2020-2021 school year. Funding will be awarded by the SSC to intermediate units applying on behalf of nonpublic schools for targeted grants to address COVID-19-related health and safety needs.
Eligible uses for the funding include the purchase of cleaning and sanitizing products; training and professional development of staff on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases; equipment purchases; modifying existing areas to support appropriate social distancing of students and staff; providing mental health services and supports; purchasing educational technology for distance learning; and other health and safety programs, items or services necessary to address the COVID-19 disaster emergency.
Per Act 30, school entities are required to apply with PCCD no later than June 30, 2020, to be eligible to receive their funding by July 15. Intermediate units must apply on behalf of nonpublic schools in their area no later than July 8, 2020, in order to be eligible to receive awards no later than Aug. 1.
More information about the Committee, its work, these solicitations and other grant opportunities can be found on PCCD’s School Safety and Security webpage.
