INDIANAPOLIS, (WOWO) – Nearly 500 schools across Indiana will see new safety initiatives thanks to more than $27 million in state-approved funding.

The Indiana Secured School Safety Board approved the grants this week, which will support 494 schools statewide. The money comes from Indiana’s Secured School Safety Grant Program, which provides matching funds to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools, and coalitions of school corporations.

State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, vice chair of the House Education Committee, said the funding will help schools implement a range of measures to keep students safe. Schools can use the grants for needs such as hiring school resource officers, updating security equipment, or funding threat assessments and safety training.

The program has become one of the state’s largest dedicated sources of school safety funding, with lawmakers emphasizing its role in helping communities adapt to changing security challenges.