A Safe Schools targeted grant will cover the salary of two police officers in Lehighton Area School District, its administration announced at a workshop Monday night.

Acting Superintendent Jack Corby said the “two-year grant agreement is split up between $39,960, which can be used for costs incurred from July 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2022, and $19,980, which can be used for costs incurred from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.”

Lehighton first hired two police officers to cover its district in 2018. It also used grant money at that time to make the initial hires of Ronald Kazakavage and Peter Salerno.

Kazakavage resigned from his position effective Nov. 18 and the district hired John Orsulak on Feb. 28 at $27.50 per hour for an average of 25 hours per week as his replacement.

A total of nearly $170,000 in Safe Schools grants were awarded to three school districts located in the 122nd Legislative District, state Rep. Doyle Heffley said earlier this year.

Other recipients included Jim Thorpe, which was awarded $24,999 for safety equipment, and Weatherly, which was awarded $24,999 for safety equipment and $60,000 for school police over two years.

The three districts were among 303 local education entities statewide that shared in $8 million to increase school safety by purchasing equipment, enacting new programs, and hiring security personnel and school resource officers.