Putnam County schools receive school safety funds

Monday, September 14, 2026 at 9:08 AM

By Staff report

Putnam County schools recently received more than $253,000 from Indiana's Secured School Safety Grant Program, according to State Rep. Beau Baird (R-Greencastle).

Baird said the program, which was established through legislation the General Assembly passed in 2013, provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools and charter schools to help pay for critical safety improvements.

"To have safe schools, it takes preparation and resources," Baird said. "This program helps schools make needed security investments to prioritize the safety of their students, educators and staff."

This year, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security provided more than $26 million in grants to nearly 500 schools and corporations.

Area schools receiving grants include:

Cloverdale Community Schools, $43,000
Greencastle Community School Corp., $86,000
North Putnam Community Schools, $50,525
South Putnam Community School Corp., $74,304

Baird said the matching grants can be used for a variety of safety measures, including hiring school resource officers, assessing site vulnerabilities, purchasing equipment and technology and implementing bullying prevention.

With this round of funding, Indiana has invested more than $240 million in school safety since the program started.