Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools Program
The deadline for initial request submittals in SurveyMonkey closed on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
Details about this funding opportunity are available in the Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools Funding Announcement below. Please read this announcement document prior to submitting an initial request.
New for FY24-25: Per recent changes in the law by Act 55 of 2024, nonpublic schools are no longer required to submit an application for this grant program through their local intermediate unit. Please see the announcement for more details.
Overview of the Program
As of December 13, 2023,
Act 33 of 2023 transferred the Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools Program, previously administered by the PA Department of Education (PDE), to the School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) within the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). PCCD is now responsible for administering this grant program.
General Information About the Grant Program
Deadline to Apply: The solicitation period is from Thursday, August 8, 2024 through 11:45 PM on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
Eligible Applicants: Nonpublic schools, defined by
Section 923.3-A of the PA Public School Code as “any school, other than a public school within this Commonwealth, wherein a resident of this Commonwealth may legally fulfill the compulsory school attendance requirements of this act and which meets the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public Law 88-352, 78 Stat. 241).” *NEW* to FY24-25, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and approved vendors are also eligible to apply under this solicitation.
Budgetary Amounts: Nonpublic schools were eligible for a maximum award not to exceed $75,000 for up to an 18-month project period. PCCD anticipates being able to make over 250 awards under this solicitation.
Eligible Projects and Expenses: Nonpublic schools may use funding to support any eligible activity under
24 P.S. §13-1306-B(j) and to fund programs that address school mental health, school violence, or enhance school security, including costs associated with the training and compensation of
school security personnel. Municipalities, law enforcement agencies and approved vendors are limited for funding to support school security personnel services. Due to the competitive nature of these grants, PCCD cannot weigh in on allowable projects or expenses.
Priority Considerations: Per the SSSC, priority consideration under this competitive funding announcement will be for requests to address gaps identified in
physical or behavioral health assessments meeting SSSC assessment standards and requests to meet
‘Level 1’ of the Baseline Criteria, which are standards that assist school entities in guiding their decisions about their physical security and behavioral health needs. PCCD recognizes that the Baseline Criteria were developed with public schools in mind, so it is possible that certain standards are outside the scope of a nonpublic school. Further, many of these criteria are NOT REQUIRED of nonpublic schools. However, as these are a basic standard for student and staff safety as recommended by experts in the field, they will be used to help prioritize requests for assistance under this solicitation. Geographic distribution will also be considered.
Financial Considerations:
Nonpublic schools seeking funding under this solicitation should know the following:
- Sustainability planning is not a necessary component of an application under this solicitation.
- Per the PA Public School Code, grant funds shall be used to supplement and not supplant existing spending on school safety and security. Requested funds should be used to enhance and add to security within each school entity.
- The SSSC, in its discretion, may award in whole or in part a request made by entities based upon the merit of a specific item requested. Please note that PCCD has approval of all final budgets and may require budget reductions or modifications.
- PCCD may also randomly audit and monitor grant recipients to ensure the appropriate use of grant funds and compliance with provisions of the grant program.
Confidentiality: Applicants should be aware that sensitive information that is reasonably likely to result in a substantial and demonstrable risk of physical harm or the personal security of students or staff is confidential and shall not be accessible for inspection and duplication under the Right-to-Know Law.
Award Notification Process: Requests recommended for approval will be taken to the SSSC for consideration at a tentatively scheduled November 13, 2024 meeting. Following that meeting, initial requests from entities recommended for funding will be contacted by PCCD staff via email to begin finalizing their award in PCCD’s Egrants system. More instructions on this process will be provided at that time. Those not recommended for an award will also receive an email notice following the SSSC meeting.
Need Help?
First, check the
current list of Questions and Answers (i.e., additional clarifications on the funding announcements, based on questions submitted from all applicants). The Q&As are updated on a routine basis, and it’s possible someone has already asked your question and the answer is already there.
If you don’t see a Q&A that corresponds to your question, please email
RA-CD-NPSEC-Grant@pa.gov and put the title of the funding announcement in the subject line.
Past Awards
Nonpublic schools that were recommended for an award and are currently in the process of completing a finalized budget, please reference this
FAQ document for assistance.