Area school districts have received money through the Safe Schools Targeted Grant program.

Northern Lehigh School District has received $20,000 to establish and implement programs to prevent and reduce violent incidents.

State Rep. Zach Mako, R-Lehigh/Northampton, on Thursday announced the grant.

The program, funded through the state budget, assists schools with paying for programs to prevent and reduce violent incidents in schools, purchase safety and security-related equipment, and provide for the training and compensation of school resource officers and school police officers.

“Keeping our children safe while in school must be a priority,” Mako said. “No student should worry about their well-being. Instead, they should be concentrating on learning all they can to prepare for their futures. I’m pleased to support this worthwhile grant program.”

Northern Lehigh School District Superintendent Matthew J. Link said the district will use the grant to have a comprehensive vulnerability study of its schools conducted, update its multi-hazards plan, and proactively train employees in safety techniques and emergency procedures.

“Prior to writing this grant, we met with a company that specializes in these areas,” Link said. “Now that we know we will be awarded these funds, we will have a follow-up meeting to begin the process.”

State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Luzerne/Carbon, and state Rep. Doyle Heffley announced funding for Carbon County districts:

• Jim Thorpe Area School District, a $25,000 Safe Schools Equipment Grant.

• Carbon Career and Technical Institute, a Safe Schools Resource Officer Grant in the amount of $19,997.12

• Lehighton Area School District, a Safe Schools Police Officer Grant in the amount of $40,000.

• Weatherly Area School District, a Safe School Police Officer Grant in the amount of $40,000.

“The Safe Schools Program, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, is an effective tool for local school districts to ensure our children and our classrooms are safe,” Yudichak said. “In light of the unthinkable tragedies that have occurred at schools across America, it is important that Pennsylvania is making historic investments in school safety.”

“The safety of our children in the classroom setting is paramount and no parent should have to worry when they send them off to school in the morning,” Heffley added.

The Safe Schools Targeted Grant Program is separate from the new $60 million School Safety and Security Grant Program created by the Legislature this year and administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The deadline for schools to apply for the new program is Oct. 12.