Ritchie Secures Nearly $70,000 to Improve Safety at Local Schools

In an effort to improve safety and security at local schools, State Senator Patty Ritchie has announced nearly $70,000 in special funding to be distributed to  districts throughout Central and Northern New York.

“When children are in the classroom and when teachers are leading lessons, the focus should be on learning—not whether or not they are safe and out of harm’s way,” said Senator Ritchie.

“All you need to do is pick up a newspaper to see that schools have been faced with a wide variety of incidents threatening their safety.  The need for security upgrades has been one of the top priorities expressed by local educators, and I’m pleased to provide this funding which will help to ensure that learning remains at the forefront of the minds of students, educators and parents.”

School districts receiving funding to be used for security upgrades include the following:

Alexandria Central School District: $5,000

Thousand Islands Central School District: $5,000

LaFargeville Central School District: $5,000

Lyme Central School District: $5,000

Belleville-Henderson Central School District: $5,000

South Jefferson Central School District: $5,000

Phoenix Central School District: $5,000

Watertown City School District: $5,000

Indian River Central School District: $5,000

Carthage Central School District: $5,000

Sandy Creek Central School District: $5,000

General Brown Central School District: $5,000

Sackets Harbor Central School District: $5,000

Herkimer, Oneida, Jefferson, Lewis, Hamilton BOCES: $1,786

Oswego County BOCES: $1,785

This special funding for schools represents Senator Ritchie’s most recent effort on behalf of local schools.  Earlier this year, Senator Ritchie supported a new State Budget that included $20 million in new funding for schools in the 48^th Senate District.  The overall education aid increase of $1.1 billion is the largest in at least five years, and nearly three times the increase originally proposed by the Governor for schools in the region.  Most recently, Senator Ritchie secured more than $50,000 to support high school marching bands throughout Central and Northern New York as well as $84,000 to help support music and arts programs in local schools.