Seated, from left, St. Joseph, Rice Lake, pastor Fr. Ed Anderson, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel, and St. Joseph School Principal Jerry Van Dyke sign the School Safety Grant documents while (standing, left to right) Capt. Tracy Hom, Rice Lake Police Department, and Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald look on. (Submitted photo)
St. Joseph School, Rice Lake, is one of 20 Wisconsin schools to receive a School Safety Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
A new state law signed March 26 created an Office of School Safety and a grant program for schools wishing to improve their security measures.
Combined, the 20 schools were given $1,382,045, which will be spent on building safety improvements and training. St. Joseph received $20,750.
“We will use these funds to install a communication system in the school, including classroom phones and intercoms, and to install safety glass in all exterior doors in order to improve building security,” said principal Jerry Van Dyke. “Additionally, we will update our school safety plan and continue to work to ensure that all students feel safe and respected at St. Joseph School.”
