Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said today 169 schools in 36 districts will receive state funds in the first round of the competitive grant program for school security, part of the Gun Violence Prevention and Children”™s Safety Act.
The money targets infrastructure and complements money already allocated by municipalities.
Each municipality will be reimbursed between 20 percent and 80 percent according to town wealth, as defined by state statute.
Funds from municipalities, which total $3,921,435, will be matched with nearly $5 million in state funding for an overall $8,911,853 investment in school security among 169 schools.
The state funding will be used to cover a portion of the costs associated with security infrastructure improvements made in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
“After the horrific events on December 14, Connecticut cities and towns moved swiftly to improve security infrastructures at schools in need,” Malloy said. “We will never be able to prevent every random act, but we can take the steps necessary to make sure that our children and our teachers are as safe as possible. This funding allows districts with the most need to implement modern security measures that will make schools safer.”
The grant awards, administered by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection in consultation with the Department of Education and the Department of Construction Services, were based on a school security assessment survey conducted by each local school district that applied.
School districts receiving awards are: Avon, Bridgeport, Cheshire, Danbury, Derby, East Hartford, Enfield, Greenwich, Hamden, Hartford, Killingly, Ledyard, Mansfield, Meriden, Middletown, Montville, Naugatuck, New Britain, New Hartford, North Haven, Norwalk, Plymouth, Portland, Regional School District No. 6 (Warren, Morris and Goshen), Regional School District No. 14 (Woodbury and Bethlehem), Rocky Hill, Shelton, Southington, Stamford, Sterling, Stratford, Vernon, West Haven, Westport, Wethersfield and Winchester.
