Earlier in 2018, lawmakers approved a bill creating $100 million in school security grants and so far, about half of that money has been awarded to districts.
Wisconsin’s Department of Justice has been allocating the funds. New Berlin schools were awarded $120,000 in safety grant money. The district is just one of more than 700 in Wisconsin that has received the first round of state funding to improve school safety.
New Berlin School District hasn’t spent the funds yet but plans to build a separate visitor entrance at its five other schools just like the one it has at New Berlin West High School.
With this new entrance area, all visitors will have to check in with an ID before heading inside.
Kenosha schools have already put their grant money to use. The district was awarded $900,000 in safety grant funds and used it partly to pay for upgrades like more than 200 live cameras at Indian Trail High.
The security upgrades at these schools come in response to the Parkland, Fla. shooting.
State officials are reviewing applications now for the second round of state funding. Schools that already received money can apply once more. A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Justice said the state hopes to be done allocating the second round of safety grant money in the middle of October.
Click here to see the school districts that have already received safety grant money.
