4 local S.C. school districts receive hundreds of dollars in safety grants
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Four local school districts in South Carolina are about to receive hundreds of dollars in safety grants to ensure students and staff are safe.
Bamberg, Saluda, Aiken, and Edgefield along with several other county districts in South Carolina are getting a 20-million-dollar cut. The money went towards a school safety grant program in this year’s state budget.
State House Reporter Mary Green reports the state superintendent wants to see more money put toward this focus.
Many districts say the amount is still not enough.
Every district that applied is getting money, but the Department of Education says most buildings across the state are old, and showing they need the security upgrades more than ever.
Patrick Kelly, Palmetto State Teachers Association, says, “We know from surveying our that there are still 30-plus percent of teachers in this state who cannot lock their classroom doors from inside. That’s something that is basic school safety 101.”
Advocates are still calling on state lawmakers to put school safety on their list of priorities.
Lawmakers will start looking at next year’s budget when they come back in January.
Local counties that have received grants:
- Aiken - Allocated: $44,700, Requested: $344,700
- Edgefield - Allocated: $171,588, Requested: $681,588
- Bamberg - Allocated/Requested: $502, 650
- Saluda - Allocated/Requested: $174,000
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