Tennessee governor proposes $40M to improve school safety
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says his upcoming budget proposal will include $40 million to improve school safety.
Lee's team announced on Thursday that $10 million was already budgeted for school safety from former Gov. Bill Haslam's plan for the upcoming fiscal year. Lee will add $30 million to that amount, with $20 million slotted for one-time funding and $10 million in recurring funds.
The funding will be used as a safety grant fund. Lee's team says the administration will sponsor additional legislation that will prioritize the distribution of those grants to pay for school resource officers.
Schools that already have resource officers can apply to use the funds for other safety priorities.