Turn PCCD School Safety Funding Into Proactive Protection

No. It is a noncompetitive, formula-based solicitation. Each eligible school entity has a defined allocation published in Appendix A of the funding announcement, and PCCD expects to fund approximately 775 grants.

School districts, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter schools, regional charter schools, and cyber charter schools, per 24 P.S. §13-1314.3-B. Nonpublic schools are not eligible under this solicitation; PCCD expects to make Targeted School Safety Grants for Nonpublic Schools available separately.

School districts receive a $100,000 base plus an amount based on 2024–25 Adjusted Average Daily Membership. All other eligible entities receive $70,000. Exact amounts are listed in Appendix A.

Yes — funding may go to physical security, behavioral health, or both, at the entity’s discretion, subject to Level 1 requirements in each category.

Generally, funds must first go toward closing Level 1 gaps. However, an entity may use funding to address gaps identified in a recent physical security assessment conducted by the PA State Police RVAT unit or an assessor on the PCCD Assessor Registry, even if not all Level 1 criteria are met.

Security-related technology, including surveillance equipment and training in its use, is an eligible activity under Section 1306-B(j)(12). PCCD’s Level 3 physical security examples specifically reference surveillance software, server costs, and offsite monitoring capabilities. Final budget approval rests with PCCD.

The funding announcement states that requesting school safety funding in a subsequent year for the same purpose and amount awarded in a previous PCCD school safety grant is not considered supplantation. Availability of future funding is determined by PCCD and the state budget.

Projects run 24 months, with a start date no earlier than July 1, 2026 and an end date of June 30, 2028. Extensions may be requested through a timely project modification request.