Jewish Schools Seeking Piece Of Public Grants To Improve Security

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Students and staff members at Jewish day schools near the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, that was the site of October's mass shooting, are asking state lawmakers for help paying for security measures.

They went to Pennsylvania's Capitol on Tuesday along with delegations from other cities around the state to meet with lawmakers about including non-public schools in a year-old $60 million school security grant program.

The state program was spurred by last year's high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.

Jewish day school parents and staffers say they're particularly alarmed after synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh and last week in California.

Samara Sofian is director of development for the Silver Academy in Harrisburg. She says that parents are asked to pay a security fee that rises every year but that it doesn't go far enough.

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