APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Several Northeast Wisconsin schools and districts received their share of state school safety grants Thursday.
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel appeared in Appleton to announce $1.7 million in grants.
“After the Parkland High School tragedies, we put our heads together to come up with a solution to keep our students and staff state.”
Schimel talks to FOX 11 about some of the uses that money could go to.
“Some will be securing front entry areas with shatter resistant film, others will install security and surveillance systems. In addition to physical security, it requires schools to strengthen their response to student mental health issues.”
The money was set aside when Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill in April to make $100 million available for schools.
The measure requires schools to create a safety plan with local police to be eligible to receive the money.
The schools receiving money Thursday are:
Appleton Area School District: $767,207
D.C. Everest Area School District: $239,975
De Pere School District: $62,200
Howards Grove School District: $66,757
Lena School District: $61,720
Menasha Joint School District: $164,600
Mishicot School District: $63,090
Muskego-Norway School District: $33,659
Phelps School District: $23,107
St. Peter Catholic School: $20,000
Sturgeon Bay School District: $103,930
Waupun Area School District: $99,979
Winter School District: $62,385Waupaca Christian Academy: $20,000
The Appleton School District has already been making improvements to their schools.
Judy Baseman, the Superintendent for the District, tells FOX 11 along with the improvements to schools security, each staff member including the school’s resource officers will be going through trauma training to better connect with students.
“It’s a huge benefit for us, a quarter of a million dollars will make a big difference for us in terms of our security planning.”
And Baseman says security improvements are already underway.
“Something we have been doing at all three of our high schools is a program called Sources of Strength to build connections to have kids see there are strengths kids can build upon before doing a violent act.”
Schimel has been traveling around the state all month awarding grants to schools.
