The Lakeland Union High School District has finally received a school safety grant from the state Department of Justice. Lakeland will receive $39,272, according to the DOJ’s website.
They had applied for $20,464, but instead received the higher amount. Among measures it will finance are new security cameras and special clear laminate material for windows to prevent easy entrance by an intruder.
Lakeland officials were concerned last month that they weren’t going to get a share of the $100 million earmarked by Gov. Scott Walker and the legislature for school safety measures and programs. The board was poised to take $51,000 from its own budget to fund additional safety measures. But the board held off when it was noted another round of safety grants would be awarded.
In the meantime, a spokeswoman from DOJ told WXPR that it was just taking time to review the 735 applications, and all applicants would receive money from the $55 million that was allocated for the first round of grants. The state has opened a second round of grant applications for a share of the remaining $45 million.
