Nearly 30 Stark County area schools will be updating their security equipment and installing more safety features this year with new grant money from the state.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week that $46.9 million would be split among 1,183 Ohio schools as part of the latest round of funding through the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant program.

The grants equal the amount requested by each school building up to $50,000. Funds could be used to cover expenses associated with physical security enhancements such as security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems and exterior lighting. 

"Helping schools pay for important security improvements is just one component of our comprehensive school safety approach that also supports the mental wellbeing of our kids and the work of local law enforcement to prevent crime," DeWine said during his announcement of the grant.

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This is the state’s second allocation under the safety grant program. Roughly $5 million was distributed during the first round in 2021. No Stark County schools were included in the first allocation.

Stark County area schools collectively received just over $1 million through the latest allocation of the grant. Thirteen schools received the maximum allocation of $50,000.

A survey of the local schools that received funds shows that most plan to purchase additional security cameras or will upgrade their existing cameras.

Besides additional security cameras, Osnaburg plans to add a mass notification system called Alertus to better communicate with families during crisis situations.

Superintendent Kevin Finefrock said the district also plans to use its $100,000 grant to establish a command center where the school resource officer can monitor district security cameras. The grant money also will be used to upgrade the malware software for some faculty and staff computers and to upgrade network switches to support the new cameras.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity and for the funds to be available,” Finefrock said. “Any time you can take steps forward for school safety, that’s a positive thing and a win for our community.”

The Louisville City School District plans to buy additional security cameras and use the remainder of the grant to install cement pillars in front of each of its schools to protect the buildings from vehicle intrusions.

Sandy Valley Local Schools is using its money for cameras, a new visitor identification program and new Halo sensors that can detect loud noises and alert administrators.

“We have newer buildings and our schools are so soundproof anymore that a lot of times you can’t hear what’s happening at the other end of the hallway,” said Superintendent David Fischer, who added that the sensors also can alert administrators about vaping and cigarette smoke. “You hope in practical terms that it’s never used.”

The new visitor ID program will allow the district to perform a background check by scanning the visitor’s identification card. The system also will print a visitor’s badge. Visitors still will need to first identify themselves at the outside door of the building and wait for an office employee to unlock the doors for them to enter.

Tuslaw will use its funds to update and add security cameras, upgrade the server for the cameras and update its exterior security locking systems throughout the district.

Northwest will upgrade its security cameras, purchase backup batteries to support its system in case of a blackout and to upgrade its antivirus software.

See the full list of the Ohio schools that received a safety grant here: Ohio K-12 Safety Grant Program

Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.

West Branch Early Learning Center: $49,618