DEL VALLE, Texas — Del Valle ISD is getting a big boost in funding to improve school safety.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) announced Friday that the district has been awarded a $468,750 federal grant to improve security. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Justice's School Violence Prevention Program, and a significant portion of the funding was authorized by Cornyn's "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act."
According to Cornyn's office, the funding can be used for things like violence prevention training for law enforcement officers, metal detectors and the installation of technology to more quickly notify law enforcement of an emergency.
“No parent should fear for the safety of their student when they drop them off at school, and no student or teacher should be afraid when they walk into the classroom,” Cornyn said in a statement. “In the aftermath of the tragedy in Uvalde, I’m grateful that meaningful solutions are being delivered through this funding to prevent violence in Texas schools.”
Earlier this year, Del Valle ISD said it planned to hire more police officers and a special safety coordinator to increase safety at its campuses.