Mary Queen of Apostles, Kiski Area get shares of $8M state grants for school safety

Kiski Area School District and Mary Queen of Apostles Catholic School are among 166 schools or districts across Pennsylvania getting shares of more than $8 million in state grants to improve school safety.

Mary Queen of Apostles received two grants totaling nearly $100,000 for use at its two schools in New Kensington. Kiski Area received one grant for just under $50,000.

Grants can be used to buy safety equipment, implement new programs and hire security personnel and school resource officers.

“Every student in Pennsylvania deserves a safe learning environment, and these Safe Schools Targeted Grants will help schools all across the commonwealth invest in the resources and staff they need to keep students, teachers and staff safe,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said. “Students should be able to focus on learning and growing in the classroom, and my administration will continue to work with our schools and local communities to ensure they have the support they deserve.”

Mary Queen of Apostles received a $50,000 grant for its Greenwald site, housing students in fourth through eighth grades, and just under $50,000 for its Freeport Road school, which houses pre-­kindergarten through third grade.

At both locations, the grants will pay for upgraded security measures at all doors, said Clifford Gorski, spokesman for the Diocese of Greensburg.

At Greenwald, the grant also will be used to upgrade the school’s existing surveillance cameras, he said.

Kiski Area received $49,625. The district will use the money to add 27 cameras to its school camera systems throughout the district, said John Tedorski, director of student information, transportation, safety and security.

Kiski Area has six schools: three primary schools, an upper elementary, an intermediate school and the high school.

The district’s existing cameras are five years old, Tedorski said. The grant will cover the cost of the new cameras, licensing and installation.

“Those cameras will allow us to have better monitoring and better remote access to ensure the safety of our school buildings,” Tedorski said. “All of the funding that we can obtain for school safety is well spent to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”

A complete list of grant recipients is available online at the state Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools website.