SOUTHWICK – Rep. Nick Boldyga presented a $100,000 check to the Southwick-Tolland Granville Regional School Committee during their meeting on Tuesday night. The funds are part of the school safety grant that Boldyga and Sen. Don Humason helped secure for the school district within the state budget.
The $100,000 check consists of two separate $50,000 safety grants that the school district has been awarded.
“None of this would happen tonight if it weren’t for the passionate work of Rep. Boldyga,” said Superintendent Jen Willard.
Boldyga noted that Sen. Humason played an important role in helping him secure the funding for the grants, but was unable to make the meeting on Tuesday evening.
School Resource Officer Michael Taggart speaks to the school committee about the go-bags. (Photo by Greg Fitzpatrick)
Southwick Police officer Michael Taggart, the School Resource Officer for the school district, presented the school committee with his recommendations for part of the safety grant. Taggart has helped create go-bags that will go in classrooms throughout all three buildings in the district. The go-bag is a backpack that features a variety of safety and medical items that are provided to teachers to use in event of an emergency.
“We give them the ability to make themselves secure,” said Taggart. “That is all in this bag.”
While Taggart noted that the go-bags are designed for worst-case situations, the bags can be used to serve any type of emergency.
“It’s not just about the worst scenario, accidents can happen every day,” said Taggart.
For the latest $50,000 grant, Taggart mentioned that some of the money will be used for improving the district’s camera system, including the installment of a blue strobe light that will alert the police department of an emergency.
Taggart added that teachers have and will continue to be trained on the go bags and other safety measures that will be implemented in the school district.
“I think today, you can all see here that people are vested in our community and our schools,” said Boldyga.
According to Boldyga, his goal in the next couple of years is to have a school resource officer at every public-school building in Agawam and Southwick.
