SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Slippery Rock Area School District is getting nearly $160,000 in state grants to improve student safety, mental health, equipment and software at its schools.

Susan Miller, assistant superintendent of Slippery Rock Area School District, said at a school board meeting Monday evening, Jan. 22, that the district is getting a $124,000 grant from the state Department of Education for mental health improvements. Miller said she is not sure how this money can be used yet, but the state is hosting informational webinars next week about the funding.

The district is also getting a $35,000 “meritorious” grant, which is money that can be used for equipment upgrades and training, according to Miller.

Miller said all school districts in the state are allocated money each year through the Office for Safe Schools, and they are non-competitive grants. She said grant money from the program has yielded good outcomes for the district in the past.

“Once we complete that needs assessment, then we have allowable expenditures,” Miller said. “We have actually had a lot of upgrades: we upgraded significantly our camera system, portable metal detectors and we have also done a lot of Safe Schools training and site assessment.”