State Rep. Mary Jo Daley announced that the Wissahickon School District and a Merion Station school were both recipients of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s competitive Safe Schools Targeted grant totaling $100,000.

Overall funds from this program are designated to prevent and reduce violent incidents in schools, purchase safety and security-related equipment, and provide for the training and compensation of school resource and police officers. Kohelet Yeshiva was awarded $40,000 and the Wissahickon School District was awarded $60,000 in support of their school resource and school police officer programs.

“With the number of tragedies that have occurred across our nation, I am proud that our state has taken measures to ensure the safety of our local schools,” said Daley, D-Montgomery. “We must provide a safe learning environment for our students, staff and their administration in order for them to be productive.”

PDE’s program is separate from the new $60 million School Safety and Security Grant program created this year and administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. For a list of awardees and their award amounts, visit the PDE’s website.