MANSFIELD — Schools across Richland County are planning safety and security upgrades after receiving grant funding from the state.
Gov. Mike DeWine’s office has announced award winners for the third round of the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant Program. Schools in Crestview, Madison and Mansfield all received funding.
The grant program helps schools pay for items like new security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems and exterior lighting.
According to a press release from DeWine’s office, public school districts and chartered non-public schools were eligible for the funds, with a maximum award of $100,000 per school. The competitive grant program was administered by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission in partnership with the Ohio School Safety Center.
The second round of funding, which was awarded in August and capped at $50,000 per school, included schools in Clear Fork, Lexington, Lucas, Madison, Mansfield, Plymouth-Shiloh and Shelby. No Richland County schools were awarded grants during the first round of funding.
Ontario Local Schools received $100,000 for each of its three buildings. Asst. Supt. Mike Ream said the district created its grant request based on a threat assessment conducted with the Ontario Police Department.
“The grant is going to allow us to do some projects to completion that we may have otherwise had to do in pieces and parts,” he said.
Ream said the money will go towards updating sound and communications systems, installing ballistic film on windows and expanding the district’s security camera network.
Funds will also be used to replace an aging panic button system with an upgraded model that will allow staff to specify the type of ongoing emergency in a building.
Ream said the old system had no way to distinguish between situations like active shooter in the building and a student with dangerously low blood sugar.
Madison’s Mifflin Elementary received its full grant request of $52,933. Principal Nathan Stump said funds will go towards door barricades, thicker doors, additional security cameras and security film.
“These decisions were made with input from Mifflin staff and local law enforcement to better identify needs that are specific to both the building and individual classrooms,” Stump said.
“While Mifflin students and staff habitually participate in safety drills, these particular resources furthermore reinforce the safety of all stakeholders within the school setting.”
According to the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, additional area schools that received funding from rounds two or three included:
Butler Elementary – $12,993
Clear Fork High School – $44,529
Clear Fork Middle School – $30,936
Crestview Middle School – $95,000
Crestview High School – $95,000
GOAL Digital Academy – $72,888
Lexington High School – $47,993
Lucas Elementary – $50,000
Lucas Heritage Middle School – $50,000
Lucas High School – $49,101
Madison High School – $50,000
Malabar Intermediate – $45,465
Mansfield Middle School – $22,320
Mansfield Senior High School – $50,000
Mansfield Spanish Immersion – $35,120
John Sherman Elementary – $50,000
Springmill STEM Elementary – $7,258
Tyger Digital Academy – $50,000
Woodland Elementary – $50,000
Pioneer Career & Technology Center – $50,000
Plymouth High School – $39,024.48
Plymouth-Shiloh Elementary School – $39,024.48
Shiloh Middle School – $39,024.48
Shelby High School – $50,000
