School districts throughout southwest Michigan will receive funding to hire school resource officers to help make their buildings safer. Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Tuesday nearly $25 million is being awarded to 195 school districts statewide for SROs over the next three years. A panel consisting of representatives from education and law enforcement awarded the grants, giving priority to schools and school districts without a school resource officer currently in place. The funding per district in southwest Michigan ranges from $83,000 for Lawrence Public Schools to $200,000 for St. Joseph Public Schools. The districts getting the support are Berrien Springs, Bloomingdale, Buchanan, Coloma, Decatur, Edwardsburg, Gobles, Lakeshore, Lawrence, River Valley, St. Joseph, and Watervliet. The SRO funding will be administered by Michigan State Police with MSP Director Joe Gasper saying the dollars “will not only help to provide better safety in our school buildings by increasing the number of schools throughout the state with at least one SRO, but very importantly, by prioritizing smaller schools in more remote areas.” The funds can be used by schools to hire more mental health professionals, harden buildings, and create an intervention system for students who are at-risk.
Southwest Michigan school districts receiving funding:
Berrien Springs Public Schools Berrien Springs Berrien $125,446
Bloomingdale Public Schools Bloomingdale Van Buren $190,500
Buchanan Community Schools Buchanan Berrien $121,712
Coloma Community Schools Coloma Berrien $131,903
Decatur Public Schools Decatur Van Buren $122,078
Edwardsburg Public Schools Edwardsburg Cass $179,644
Gobles Public Schools Gobles Van Buren $100,000
Lakeshore Public Schools Stevensville Berrien $180,000
Lawrence Public Schools Lawrence Van Buren $83,614
River Valley School District Three Oaks Berrien $139,423
St. Joseph Public Schools St. Joseph Berrien $200,000
Watervliet Public Schools Watervliet Berrien $120,850
