Capital bill will allow Vermont schools to apply for grants to enhance security

Maleeha Syed
Burlington Free Press
To enter Crull Elementary School, guests must use a buzzer to be allowed into the front office of the school. One of the main features of an update schools are receiving as the result of a 2016 bond is the addition of a camera and buzzer system,t wo layers of locked doors and the relocation of school offices to the front entrance.

Public, private and independent schools in Vermont can apply for grants to increase on-campus security – worth up to $25,000. 

Announced by Gov. Scott and the Vermont School Safety Center, the state's capital bill sets aside $1.5 million for schools to bolster safety. Applications go through the Department of Public Safety. Examples of security measures include notification/announcement systems, door locks (interior and exterior) and window shading.

Vermont schools and supervisory unions are allowed to access the funding as part of the School Safety and Security Grant Program. Schools will need to match 25 percent of any grant money awarded.

There is one small caveat, according to the Vermont School Safety Center's press release:

"Schools which received funding in the last round of SSSG are not eligible for funding on the new round." 

Nearly 250 schools won grants from an allocation of funds available last year for security enhancements, according to the governor's press release. 

How do Vermont schools apply for the grant?

The deadline to apply for funding is August 5. To jump start the process, institutions can:

Other appropriations in Vermont's capital bill 

The act was signed into law by Gov. Scott on May 30. A few other items of note in the bill include:

  • The expansion of eligibility criteria for schools seeking funds through the School Safety and Security Grant program. 
  • Allocation of over $12 million in both 2020 and 2021 for clean water purposes. 
  • Allocation over $1 million for both 2020 and 2021 for UVM renovations and construction. 
  • $3 million in fiscal year 2020, followed by $1.5 million the next fiscal year, "to replace the Middlesex Secure Residential Recovery Facility." 

Contact Maleeha Syed at mzsyed@freepressmedia.com or 802-495-6595. Follow her on Twitter @MaleehaSyed89