Northern Lehigh School District has received a grant for mental health initiatives as well as physical safety and security in schools.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Tania Stoker announced at Monday’s school board meeting that the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency released its School Mental Health and Safety and Security Grant.

Stoker said the district has been allocated $124,566 for mental health, and $124,566 for safety and security for a total of $249,133.

Grants must be submitted by Aug. 31 and will cover a 24-month period, starting Aug. 1 through July 31, 2024.

“The primary purpose of the grant is to ensure that schools meet the Tier I of the basic criteria guidance for physical security, behavioral health and school climate that were developed by the School Safety Security Commission Committee and adopted in February 2021,” Stoker said. “So, this month we’re spending time going through Tiers I, II and III to see what we have in place.

“We must find anything that we don’t have in place for Tier I first, and then we are able to fund beyond that. Right now we’re working through those Tier groups starting to come up with our funding priorities.”

Also on Monday, Sherri Molitoris, director of Business Affairs, Business & Human Resource Officer, gave a brief budget update.

Molitoris noted that the district did receive an additional $589,792 in basic education funding and an additional $117,464 in special education for a total increase in its revenues of $708,000.

“Currently administration is working through the process of what we’re going to do with those additional funds,” Molitoris said.