St. Mary’s Schools Advance Security Upgrades With Remaining Federal Grant Funds

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — St. Mary’s County Public Schools will use the remaining balance of a nearly $1 million federal school safety grant to fund additional security improvements across the district, including additional surveillance cameras, campus radios and public address system upgrades.

The St. Mary’s County Board of Education unanimously approved a $470,000 budget amendment Wednesday, reallocating remaining funds from the federal Stronger Connections Grant funds before the program expires Sept. 30. The amendment will be submitted to the St. Mary’s County commissioners for final approval.

Deputy Superintendent of Fiscal and Supporting Services Tammy McCourt said the Stronger Connections Grant was created under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022 to support safe and healthy learning environments. St. Mary’s County Public Schools received the competitive grant award in 2023 and later received a one-year extension, allowing the district to use the funding through Sept. 30, 2026.

Maryland received more than $17 million through the Stronger Connections Grant program, which the Maryland State Department of Education awarded competitively to 14 high-need school districts under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Security Upgrades Slated For Remaining Grant Funds

The approved budget amendment reallocates savings from personnel and fixed-charge categories to purchase additional safety equipment before the grant expires.

McCourt said the amendment shifts $251,000 from student personnel services, $73,000 from student health services and $146,000 from fixed charges into the operations category to support the purchases.

“As a result, we do have some salary and fixed charges savings available to us that we are recommending that we reallocate to support a safe learning environment under the purview of the grant prior to the expiration of the grant next month,” McCourt said.

Public Address System Upgrades Continue

Director of Safety and Security Charles Eible said the district turned its focus to public address system upgrades after completing school vestibule projects. 

“Our big push after our vestibules was public address systems,” Eible said.

Eible said Hollywood Elementary School will be the next school to receive an upgraded public address system, followed by Ridge Elementary School and Oakville Elementary School. Two additional schools will remain before the district completes its countywide modernization effort.

The board unanimously approved the budget amendment, allowing the district to spend the remaining federal grant funds on security improvements before the grant expires Sept. 30.

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