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Pace Awards Safety Grants

January 23, 2007 - PACE awarded more than $177,000 in matching safety grants to Oregon school districts in December as part of its "Partners in Prevention" program.

Partners in Prevention grants, which were as much as $3,000 each, are intended to help districts pay for projects to improve safety and security for students and lessen the districts' liability risk.

Dave Westmark, director of Insurance Services at OSBA, said that because there were more applicants than expected, PACE trustees decided to more than double the amount originally budgeted for the program so that all qualifying requests could be funded. The trustees directed $112,000 more into the grant program.

Grants will help districts pay for projects such as improving playground and gym lighting and equipment; installing motion-detecting lights and surveillance cameras and systems; replacing camcorders on buses; installing permanent extension ladders; and replacing fire-alarm systems and phone/announcement systems.

PACE received 101 applications from 81 districts, requesting a total of $203,554.

Westmark said that the next round of grant applications will begin after trustees address the budget at their July meeting. The deadline for applications will be Nov. 15.