Three St. Cloud Metro Schools Awarded State Safety Grants

ST. CLOUD -- Three St. Cloud Metro area schools will receive a chunk of $12.5-million in grant money from the state to help improve school security.

The schools applied for the grant money from the Minnesota Department of Education in August.

Pleasantview Elementary in the Sauk Rapids-Rice District will be getting $392,370 for secure entrances, Westwood Elementary in District 742 is set to get $460,000 for both secure entrances and some new communications equipment and Stride Academy will receive $24,000 for secure entrances.

These grants were built in as part of the bonding bill this year. The state legislature earmarked $25-million for use by districts across Minnesota. The money was divided into $12.5-million for schools in the Twin Cities Metro and $12.5-million for schools in greater Minnesota.

Sartell-St. Stephen had also asked for grant money -- but was denied -- to help them with remodeling costs at their current high school, which will undergo renovations after their new high school opens next fall.