Grant funding to help Pittsburgh-area students and community persevere
MCKEES ROCKS, Pa. (KDKA) — The challenges students face in and out of the classroom aren't the same in every school district.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced that millions of dollars in federal grants are heading to a handful of districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania in hopes of making safer and healthier environments for students.
Each district has its plans on how it'll use the funding to address its students' specific needs, with physical and mental health staying top of mind.
The ripple effects of community violence in the McKees Rocks area are far-reaching and impact students in the classroom in the Sto-Rox School District, especially in the junior/senior high school.
"Some of our kids don't say much about it. I think it's how they're internalizing it, and some you can clearly see it on their face. They're all dealing with the emotions. The question is what that looks like and then the level of support that they need," Sto-Rox School District Superintendent Megan Van Fossan said.
Van Fossan said the district will provide more support after receiving $1.1 million from the Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections Grant Program.
Several other school districts in Southwestern Pennsylvania also received grants. Butler Area School District received nearly $1.4 million, West Mifflin Area School District got $916,680, Ambridge Area School District's grant is for $583,370, Trinity Area School District was awarded $660,010 and Southmoreland School District received $550,008.
The grants aim to prevent violence and bullying and keep kids safe, both physically and mentally. The school districts had to meet some "high need" criteria, including high rates of violence in the school or community, high rates of poverty, and lack of mental health support.
"We don't want kids to wait," Van Fossan said.
She said the grant will pay for Sto-Rox's mental health staff. The district has four mental health clinicians and five school counselors. Students don't have to wait weeks for an appointment.
"Within hours, you're seeing someone who is a licensed clinician, and we're able to de-escalate. We're able to problem solve, we're able to come up with a plan. Emotionality and mental health leads to suicide. And it can lead to other things. And so we want to be as proactive, instead of reactive, as possible," said Van Fossan.
The Sto-Rox School District also plans to expand its after-school programs.
"When we think about community safety, it provides evening activities. We provide dinner three nights a week, and we want to keep kids here in the district as long as we can every evening," Van Fossan said.
Butler Area School District Superintendent Brian White said its plans to use the nearly $1.4 million grant include training teachers and staff on how to build positive relationships with kids, improving data tracking to identify at-risk situations and students, and creating a flexible learning space with a drop-in wellness center at the senior high school.
"Kids can come here if they have a lot on their mind and want someone to talk to. They want to share something going on in life, they need some help setting some goals and find some hope. For that, they don't have to wait for a line."
He said the district's goal is to teach kids how to develop skills to cope with trauma and adversity.
"Things that build that sort of bank of charisma for being resilient when these bad things happen to you in life and trying to find a way to overcome," White said.
School leaders hope the funds will make their schools and communities safer.
In fact, Sto-Rox School District invited the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, DEA, police, and local and state leaders to a meeting next Wednesday to discuss the best ways to be a rock for students.
"Let's talk about what are the strategies that folks are using and working together because we can't work in silos," Van Fossan said.
West Mifflin Area School District told KDKA-TV it will use its grant money to create a Titan Assistance Patrol to offer a wide range of services with in-house team members and a mobile team. The patrol will conduct home visits for students struggling academically because of their attendance. It can also transport families to appointments and help with mental health and social services.
Noelle Haney, director of pupil services, shared details with KDKA-TV, which said in part, "The Titan Assistance Patrol (TAP) is a multifaceted support organization within our educational community. We are committed to the holistic development and well-being of students, parents, and the broader community. TAP offers a range of services that focus on mental health, attendance support, academic assistance, parenting resources, and public relations. Team members consist of multiple professionals with expertise in areas that will provide students, families, and community members with the information, best practices, and resources to assist them in making the educational experience stronger through relationship building."
