Aug. 29, 2024
Safety First at Pennsylvania’s Schools
The education of our future generations is one of government’s most essential, core services.
Quality schools with engaging curriculums help our students become Pennsylvania’s workforce of tomorrow. In future years, they will provide our medical care, manufacture our products, grow our food and educate the generation following them. Furthermore, today’s students are a big component of economic development.
But first thing’s first when it comes to our young people. Families need to know that the schools where their children go every day are safe and secure.
This year, for the first time in Pennsylvania, every school district is required to have one full-time school security person on duty during the school day who has completed Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission Training, the Basic School Resource Officer Course or the Lethal Weapons Training Act training.
To assist with school safety expenses for all school entities, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency is responsible for administering School Safety and Mental Health Grants. Each school district that applies for a School Safety and Mental Health grant will receive a noncompetitive grant of $100,000, plus a proportional amount based on the school district’s percentage of the adjusted average daily membership for all school districts. Making the grants noncompetitive assures the availability of funding to every school entity that applies.
Each intermediate unit, area career and technical school, charter school, regional charter school, or cyber charter school that applies will receive a noncompetitive grant of $70,000.
According to the latest Pennsylvania School Discipline Report released by the Department of Education, Pennsylvania public schools called the police 16,850 times during the 2022-23 school year, marking a 10% increase in calls from the previous year.
This is precisely why school safety must be prioritized. Opponents of the new requirement argue that students should not feel as though they are under a constant eye and that too much police presence sends the wrong message. I humbly disagree.
Young people should not fear those brave men and women who work in law enforcement. These folks are resources for help and assistance but who can quickly respond should a situation ever call for it.
Hearing the concerns from educators that students having access to their cell phones throughout the day can be problematic, these same grants may be used to purchase secure, lockable smartphone bags. To use the money for the purchase of such bags, school districts would be required to adopt an official cell phone policy.
According to studies by the Pew Research Center and the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, as many as 95% of teenagers and 40% of children between the ages of 8-12 use social media. Data assembled by the University of Michigan shows that teens receive an average of 237 notifications on their phone each day.
In the 55th Legislative District, and the Commonwealth, we have fantastic educational opportunities offered to our young people because of the expertise of teachers and administrators. If local school districts determine that students should be restricted from using their phones during instruction, using grant funding in this manner is a reasonable way to support that decision.
Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share.
‘Jail Scam’ Reports on the Rise - Pennsylvania State Police are again warning people to be aware of scammers claiming their loved one is in jail and promising to release them in exchange for cash.
Scammers will usually make contact by phone and claim a loved one (typically a grandchild) is either currently in jail, or faces the possibility of jail, and will even cite specific names. They will then ask for an address where they can pick up the money.
State police offer these tips to protect yourself from this and other scams:
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Don’t feel pressured to provide payment for something or to someone.
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Do not give out sensitive information over the phone.
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NEVER place money in your mailbox or at your doorstep for someone to pick up.
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Do not give remote access to anyone for any of your devices.
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Never make a payment to someone with gift cards – it’s a scam!
If you or anyone you know is a victim of a scam, contact state or local law enforcement to have it investigated.
Learn About Saving for Higher Education with PA 529! - Kids across the state are or soon will be heading back to class, and now is the perfect time to start saving for their next steps! Whether a child in your life is starting kindergarten or heading into their senior year, it’s never too early, or too late, to start saving with the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program.
Saving with PA 529 has big tax advantages and doesn’t impact Pennsylvania state financial aid eligibility. There are two great plans to choose from, the PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan (GSP) and the PA 529 Investment Plan (IP).
Both plans can be used to help pay for a wide variety of education costs like tuition and fees, books, supplies, room and board, and more at technical schools, community colleges, four-year institutions and apprenticeship programs. To learn more, visit
pa529.com.
Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
RepJillCooper.com / Facebook.com/RepJillCooper