School Safety Grant Will Provide Safety Improvements to Buildings
By: Allen Miles, MPS Assistant Superintendent
On Friday, April 28th the Mexico School District #59 received notification that they were awarded a substantial school safety grant in the amount of $250,000. We were excited when we were notified, and are eager to begin the process of utilizing those funds to make the biggest impact for our district. The purpose of the grant is to support physical safety improvements to our buildings.
The competitive grant, administered by DESE, will allow the district to proactively implement a wide range of safety measures, further ensuring a secure educational environment for students and staff alike. The district is taking proactive steps to stay ahead of any potential threats and provide peace of mind to students, parents, and staff members. The funds will be allocated towards initiatives designed to enhance emergency preparedness and physical security.
We looked at everything that we could do to improve the safety of our district and chose to focus on what would make the biggest impact on student and staff safety. One of the main focuses of the grant is improving the physical security of our buildings. This will include the installation of safety film, upgraded door hardware, secure exterior doors with key fob entries, and upgraded classroom doors. These measures, when paired with the new cameras and secure entries that will also be purchased with grant funding, will provide cutting edge solutions to the safety of our staff and students.
The school district’s success in securing the grant is a testament to the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders within the district. The commitment to student safety demonstrated by these individuals have not only helped us secure the grant, but has also instilled a sense of confidence and reassurance among our staff. Thank you to Jason Benjamin for assisting with the grant writing process, and a huge thank you to his maintenance department who will undertake the main portion of installing our upgrades. These grant funds will help give us a peace of mind when it comes to the safety of our students and staff.