Fifteen northern Michigan school districts will be sharing millions of dollars in state grants for school safety efforts.
The state announced 150 awards on Tuesday, totaling $10 million in state funding. It comes from the CSSGP, the Competitive School Safety Grant Program, and the dollars can be used for equipment and technology to improve the safety of students, staff, and school buildings.
At the Greenspire School in Traverse City, Superintendent Robert Walker says they’ll be making improvements to the middle school. “We’re really looking at upgrading our entrances, and then as well, making the two buildings communicate with each other better for safety. Both indoor and outdoor since we have that outdoor education component here at Greenspire,” Walker says.
They’ll also be adding what he calls “a unified alert system between two buildings, as well as cameras. (It is) our plan to upgrade those, to have both schools with similar entry programs.” Walker adds, “For a small school like us, this is really important. It makes a significant impact for us. That it can help us really to find creative ways to find solutions to kind of the everyday problems of schools.”
In all, safety grants are being award to 71 different school districts and ISDs across the state, and 40 nonpublic schools.
Schools in northern Michigan that are receiving funding include:
Charlevoix Montessori Academy for the Arts $18,238
Concord Academy Boyne – $42,500
COOR ISD – Roscommon – $50,000
East Jordan Public Schools – $1200,000
Evart Public Schools – $91,000
Harrison Comm. Schools – $15,792
Cadillac Heritage Christian – $50,000
Leland Public School – $12,600
Northwest Ed Services (TC) – $50,000
Renaissance Public Academy – Mt. Pleasant $24,940
Oscoda Area Schools – $80,336
Roscommon Area Schools – $147,300
Sault Ste Marie Schools – $250,000
St. Ignatius – Rogers City – $45,581
Greenspire Middle School – Traverse City – $37,000
TCAPS – $250,000
Traverse City Area Public Schools was unavailable to comment on this story.
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