JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson on Monday announced $50 million in safety grants for public and private schools.
Parson said a total of 566 school districts, charter schools and private schools were awarded grants, which the Legislature approved and Parson signed off on earlier this year.
Schools applied for funds up to $300,000 through a competitive grant process.
Legislation authorizing the grants says the money can be spent on “training, physical security upgrades and associated technology, bleeding control kits, epinephrine auto-injectors, and automatic external defibrillators.â€
Schools will be reimbursed for expenses incurred, the state said.
The list of districts and individual schools winning grant money is available on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s .
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St. Louis-area recipients include the Kirkwood School District ($300,000); Lift for Life Academy ($100,000); Mary Institute and Country Day School ($150,000); Mehlville School District ($300,000); St. Louis Public Schools ($300,000); and St. John Vianney High School ($80,000).
The funding this year builds on an additional earlier this year. Only public schools could access that money.
Republicans such as Parson have emphasized physical security improvements to school buildings in lieu of tighter firearm restrictions, which Democrats have pushed for, to help address school shootings.
“Improving the safety and security of our schools is an issue we can all support, and these grants help ensure our schools remain safe environments for Missouri children to learn,†Parson said in a statement.
“While threats of violence are something we never want to see in our classrooms, we must be prepared and have proper resources and response plans in place,†he said.
State Rep. Donna Baringer, D-St. Louis, said earlier this year that, “The House will legislate — and even appropriate funds — to deal with the outcome of school shootings, but we will do next to nothing to actually prevent those shootings from taking place.â€
Baringer was criticizing for bleeding-control kits in high-traffic areas in schools such as auditoriums, cafeterias or gymnasiums. The measure did not pass.