The Rossville Consolidated School District announced that it has been awarded $77,367 through the Fiscal Year 2025 Indiana Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) program. The SSSG program, created in 2013 and codified by Indiana Code 10-21, is a state-funded initiative designed to increase the safety and security of Indiana’s schools. The program provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools, and coalitions of school corporations to help enhance safety measures for students, teachers, and staff.
“We are grateful for the continued support from the state of Indiana in helping us maintain and improve the safety and security of our schools,” said Dr. Jim Hanna, Superintendent of Rossville Consolidated School District. “The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and these funds will allow us to take critical steps in ensuring a secure environment for learning.”
The Indiana Secured School Safety Grant is a competitive program. Funds are allocated to support various initiatives that address security risks and improve emergency preparedness. The grant funds for Rossville will be used to upgrade the school’s public address (PA) system, which is critical in ensuring effective communication during emergencies.
Enhancing School Safety
The tragic events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 underscored the necessity of reliable communication systems during emergencies. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission’s report identified communication failures as a significant factor in the loss of life, where students and staff were unable to hear or understand emergency announcements. With these lessons in mind, Rossville Consolidated School District will use the Secured School Grant funds to improve the audibility and intelligibility of emergency announcements throughout its school buildings. The first phase is to upgrade the PA system in the elementary.
Key areas for improvement in the PA system include:
- Installation of High-Volume Speakers: Ensuring announcements are louder than ambient noise, particularly during high-noise periods like class changes and lunch breaks.
- Enhanced Speaker Coverage: Upon the phase program completion, the coverage will be expanded to vital areas within the school, including hallways, gymnasiums, and outdoor spaces, ensuring no area is without proper notification capabilities.
- Improving System Intelligibility: Ensuring emergency messages are clear and easily understood by all.
- Integration with VoIP Systems: Leveraging the district’s VoIP infrastructure to enhance coverage and functionality of the PA system, facilitating efficient communication.
About the Secured School Safety Grant
The SSSG program allows schools to apply for matching funds to use for various security-related measures, including employing school resource officers (SROs), conducting site vulnerability assessments, purchasing safety equipment, and upgrading technology that restricts access to school property or assists in emergency response. These initiatives foster a safer learning environment by providing schools with the resources necessary to prepare for and respond to potential threats.
Rossville Consolidated School District’s PA system upgrade is just one part of a broader commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all students, staff, and visitors.
For more information on the Secured School Safety Grant or the safety measures implemented at Rossville Consolidated School District, contact the Rossville Schools administration office at 765- 379-2990 or visit the website at rcsd.k12.in.us.
