Burns: $1.8 million coming to Greater Johnstown SD to support learning in a safe, supportive environment
Rep. Frank Burns March 16, 2024 | 8:37 AM
HARRISBURG, March 16 -- State Rep. Frank Burns announced that the Greater Johnstown School District has been awarded $1.8 million to establish safe, healthy and supportive learning environments.
“This grant will help GJSD provide safe learning environments to help students grow, while also preventing bullying, violence and hate,” Burns said. “I have made it my mission to address school bullying and I continue to advocate for any effort that can help.”
The grant is from the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections Grant to promote social, emotional, physical and mental well-being of students and staff, address family and community engagement and promote equitable and inclusive policies and practices.
Since taking office, Burns has worked to address school bullying, from installing buddy benches on playgrounds, and hosting roundtables on school violence, to securing an anti-bullying pilot program for Penn Cambria School District and obtaining grants to promote school safety.
“Since taking office, I’ve always worked to make sure our schools are safe environments for our children,” Burns said. “Whether that is providing safety equipment, promoting anti-bullying efforts or supporting our first responders and police officers, I want to make sure school is always a place that kids – and their parents – feel safe.”
Well known for his leadership in anti-bullying initiatives, Burns has also supported legislation to improve school safety across the commonwealth, including the legislation that created the school safety grant program and led an initiative to review the commonwealth’s school safety policy to ensure that school resource officers and security guards could carry firearms. He also has introduced a package of legislation to create an anti-bullying bill of rights for parents, students and schools, and hold parents accountable for their children’s bullying.