INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indiana’s governor is asking legislators to approve an additional $5 million toward school security grants.
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s office released a letter Friday seeking the money for the Indiana Secured Safety Grant Program. It was started in 2013 after the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut and currently has a $9 million annual budget to help schools buy safety equipment or hire police officers.
The letter says the most recent round of grant applications requested $3.5 million more than was available.
Legislator leaders say approval for moving the money from state reserves can be done before the legislative session ends next week.
The new funding request comes as Indiana has seen dozens of copycat school threats since the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.