Brady PieperIn an effort to create a safer environment for both students and teachers, The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is announcing $75 million in grants for school districts, career and technical education centers (CTCs) and charter schools across the state. The funding will be used to enhance safety initiatives through the elimination of environmental and health hazards.
The grants, provided through the PDE’s Environmental Repairs Grants program, will fund initiatives that encompass a range of safety improvements, including the removal of hazardous materials, upgrades to water systems and the installation of treatment devices to reduce contaminants.
Specifically, districts and schools may use these grants to improve water infrastructure, install point-of-use treatment devices and eliminate contaminants like lead from water sources. Outside of water safety initiatives, schools and districts may also use funds to remediate mold and asbestos contamination in facilities and implement projects that mitigate environmental safety hazards on school campuses.
This $75 million round of grants was announced at Antietam School District, the site of catastrophic flooding last summer. As a result of the floods, Antietam Middle-Senior High School was rendered unusable from water damage. In response, PDE will deliver the largest grant of the program, $7.83 million, to the Antietam School District for the reconstruction, rehabilitation and repair of the school’s affected facilities.
13 other school projects, funded through the PDE Environmental Repairs Grants program, will receive over $1 million in funds. School districts set to secure over $1 million include:
- Butler – $1.04 million
- Chichester – $1.04 million
- Millcreek Township – $2.89 million
- Muhlenberg – $7.83 million
- Penn Hills – $2.17 million
- Penncrest – $4.28 million
- Philadelphia City – $7.83 million
- Pittsburgh – $4.11 million
- Plum Borough – $1.91 million
- Reading – $1.89 million
- Upper Darby – $1.78 million
- West Branch – $1.71 million
- York City – $3.37 million
For PDE’s full list of Environmental Repairs Grants, see the department’s Environmental Repairs Awards page.
In addition to these funds, the 2023-24 budget has allocated $100 million for broader school facility improvements through the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).
Signed this year, Pennsylvania’s 2024-25 budget features a historic $1.1 billion in total increases for K-12 funding. This bump is the largest year-over-year increase in Commonwealth history and includes an additional $100 million for DCED’s school facilities improvement program.
The grant program and budget increases are a part of the state’s broader efforts to enhance educational infrastructure and support Pennsylvania’s students. By addressing urgent environmental issues in school buildings and investing in overall facility improvements, PDE, DCED and other state agencies aim to create optimal conditions for safe student learning and unimpeded growth.
Elizabeth Murphy from Alexandria VA, United States, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
