VIENNA — Gov. Mike Parson announced Monday that Maries R-1 and Visitation Inter-Parish School are two of the schools receiving School Safety Grants in Missouri’s second round of funding.

Maries R-1 expects to receive $50,000. Options the school included in the grant included an upgraded camera system, cameras on buses, bleed kits for each building, a new automated external defibrillator (AED) for the nurse’s office, replacement of older exterior doors and vape detectors for restrooms. Maries R-1 Superintendent Teresa Messersmith said the school is “very excited” to receive the grant. The total will not cover all of the options, but Messersmith plans to work with faculty, staff, administrators and the school board to determine top priorities for the grant.

Visitation will receive $8,338. Visitation Principal Maggie Rush said the grant will fully fund the school’s current safety improvement plan. Upcoming improvements include a surveillance camera system, a new front door access system, safety film on exterior glass doors, bleeding control kits and an AED for the school’s main office. The school has already rekeyed all of its interior and exterior doors.

“Safety of all students and staff is a top priority for the school,” Rush said. “We hope to continue doing safety improvements and projects each year as we are able.”

Parson approved an additional $50 million to expand the School Safety Reimbursement Grant Program in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. The grant program aims to support school safety improvements, including physical security upgrades and associated technology including door locks, monitoring systems, epinephrine auto-injectors, and automatic external defibrillators. An additional 169 school districts and charter schools received $20 million in funding during the first round of grants from the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.

“Missouri families continue to tell education leaders that ensuring their child’s school remains safe and secure is their biggest concern,”  Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven said in a press release. “We thank Governor Parson and the General Assembly for their ongoing support and commitment to ensuring our schools remain among the safest places for our students.”

Schools applied to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) through a competitive grant application process. The maximum grant amount awarded was $300,000. These funds will be distributed through DESE’s FY24 School Safety Grant Program.