Tips for Using Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Grant Funds for Center for Safe Schools Assessment Services

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee’s FY 2026–27 School Safety & Mental Health Grant provides eligible school entities with funding to address physical security and behavioral/mental health needs.

Application Deadline: Oct. 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. through PCCD Egrants.

Center for Safe Schools (CSS) can support eligible school entities through assessment services designed to identify needs, document gaps, establish priorities, and provide actionable recommendations for strengthening school safety and behavioral health supports.

Importantly, the funding announcement specifically states that school entities may consider using available funding to conduct physical security or behavioral health assessments in accordance with PCCD’s School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) approved assessment criteria.

Tip #1 – Start with Your School Entity’s Needs/Level 1 Baseline Criteria

Before developing your application and deciding how to use your grant funds, review the updated PCCD School Safety and Security Committee Physical Security and Behavioral Health and School Climate Level 1 Baseline Criteria.

Please consider/ask:

  • Does our school entity currently meet all applicable Level 1 criteria?
  • Have we completed the required Level 1 assessment?
  • Where do we have documented gaps? Do we have current assessment findings that document those gaps?
  • What have recent assessments, data or incidents been identified as areas for improvement?
  • Would an assessment help establish priorities and guide future investments?
  • Does the proposed assessment align with an eligible grant activity?

Important: School entities that do not meet applicable Level 1 criteria generally must prioritize Level 1 gaps or other allowable Level 1 activities in accordance with the funding announcement.

Tip #2 – Consider CSS Assessment Services

Physical Security Assessment

A Physical Security Assessment aligned with SSSC standards and guidance is itself part of the Physical Security Level 1 Baseline Criteria and must cover all school buildings housing educational programs. CSS assessment services can help school entities identify strengths, gaps, priorities, and recommended strategies for strengthening school safety and behavioral health systems.

A CSS Physical Security Assessment can help a school entity:

  • Evaluate current physical security conditions.
  • Identify vulnerabilities and Level 1 gaps.
  • Review relevant safety practices, procedures, and security measures.
  • Establish priorities for improvement.
  • Develop actionable recommendations.
  • Inform future school safety investments.

Important Assessor Requirement

For grant-funded safety and security assessments, PCCD specifically requires school entities to use SSSC-adopted assessment criteria and an SSSC-recognized vendor. PCCD maintains a registry of recognized vendors that perform assessments using the SSSC criteria. Center for Safe Schools has several approved assessors available to serve your assessment needs.

Student Assistance and Behavioral Health Support Assessments

A Student Assistance and Behavioral Health Support Assessment aligned with SSSC standards and guidance and conducted school-entity-wide is part of the Behavioral Health and School Climate Level 1 Baseline Criteria.
CSS can assess existing behavioral health, student assistance, referral, prevention, and school climate systems. A CSS assessment can help evaluate areas such as:

  • Student Assistance Program processes.
  • Behavioral and mental health supports.
  • Referral and coordination systems.
  • Prevention and early-intervention practices.
  • School climate systems.
  • Student services and support.
  • Opportunities for strengthening existing systems.

The assessment can help a school entity identify gaps and establish priorities for strengthening prevention, early intervention, referrals, and student supports.

Important Assessor Requirement

For grant funding purposes, PCCD specifies that a recent Student Assistance and Behavioral Health Support Assessment conducted by an individual recognized on the PCCD School Safety and Security Assessor Registry may be used to identify gaps that the school entity can address with grant funds even when all Level 1 requirements have not yet been met. An assessment conducted by an individual not recognized on the registry does not meet this requirement.

Assessment findings can help districts:

  • Determine alignment with Behavioral Health and School Climate Level 1 Baseline Criteria.
  • Identify gaps in services, practices and supports.
  • Strengthen prevention and early intervention systems.
  • Improve referral and student support processes.
  • Establish priorities for future programming and resource allocation.

Tip #3 – Make the Grant Connection Clear

Strong grant applications clearly demonstrate the connection between the need and the ask:

Identified Need → Assessment → Findings/Recommendations → Expected Improvement

Example:

Identified Need: CSS Service: Purpose: Expected Benefit:
The school entity needs updated information regarding current physical-security conditions and alignment with Level 1 Baseline Criteria. Comprehensive Physical Security Assessment Identify strengths, gaps, vulnerabilities, and prioritize recommendations. Provide the school entity with objective information to prioritize eligible school-safety improvements and future investments.

Sample Project Description

Conduct a comprehensive assessment aligned with applicable School Safety and Security Committee standards to identify current strengths, Level 1 Baseline Criteria gaps, and priority recommendations for improving school safety and/or behavioral health supports.

[School Entity Name] will use grant funds to conduct a [Physical Security Assessment and/or Student Assistance and Behavioral Health Support Assessment] aligned with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) standards and guidance.

The assessment will evaluate current practices and conditions, identify strengths and gaps related to applicable Level 1 Baseline Criteria, and provide prioritized, actionable recommendations. Findings will help the school entity make data-informed decisions, address identified needs, strengthen school safety and/or behavioral health supports, and guide future investments.

For grant-funded safety and security assessments, the assessment will be completed in accordance with applicable SSSC criteria and assessor/vendor requirements. The grant specifically identifies qualifying safety and security assessments as an eligible activity.

Sample Budget Justification

Center for Safe Schools Assessment Services – $[AMOUNT]

Grant funds will support a comprehensive [Physical Security Assessment / Student Assistance and Behavioral Health Support Assessment] for [School Entity Name].

The assessment will be conducted in alignment with applicable PCCD School Safety and Security Committee standards and will help the school entity identify current strengths, Level 1 Baseline Criteria gaps, and priority areas for improvement.

The assessment may include:

  • Document and policy review.
  • Stakeholder interviews.
  • Facility/site visits, when applicable.
  • Assessment activities.
  • Written findings and recommendations.
  • Consultation with district leadership.

Findings will provide the school entity with objective recommendations to guide school-safety and/or behavioral health planning, prioritize future investments, and identify strategies for addressing documented needs.

Cost Calculation:

[# buildings / # assessment days / project fee] × $[rate] = $[total]

Applicants should obtain a CSS scope of work and cost estimate before finalizing the grant budget.

Grant Application Checklist

Before submitting:

  • Review the FY 2026–27 PCCD funding announcement.
  • Confirm your school entity’s grant allocation.
  • Review applicable Physical Security and Behavioral Health/School Climate Level 1 Baseline Criteria.
  • Identify and document Level 1 gaps.
  • Review existing assessment findings and district data.
  • Determine which CSS assessment best addresses the identified need.
  • Confirm the assessment aligns with an eligible grant activity.
  • Verify applicable PCCD/SSSC assessor requirements.
  • Request a CSS scope of work and cost estimate.
  • Clearly describe the assessment expense in the Egrants Budget Detail justification.
  • Follow applicable procurement requirements.
  • Maintain required quotes, scopes of work, contracts, invoices, and supporting documentation.
  • Submit the application by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2026.

Center for Safe Schools: Supporting Data-Informed School Safety Planning

CSS Assessment Services can help school entities move from identifying a concern to establishing clear, actionable priorities.

Assessment → Findings → Priorities → Action

Before including CSS Assessment Services in a PCCD application, confirm that the proposed assessment, provider qualifications, budget category, and scope meet all applicable requirements of the FY 2026–27 funding announcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can PCCD grant funds be used for school safety assessments?
    Yes. The funding announcement specifically identifies qualifying physical security and behavioral health assessments conducted in accordance with applicable Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee (SSSC) criteria as an eligible activity.
  2. What assessment services does Center for Safe Schools (CSS) offer?
    CSS offers Physical Security Assessments and Student Assistance and Behavioral Health Support Assessments designed to help school entities identify strengths, gaps, priorities and actionable recommendations.
  3. Why should we consider an assessment as part of our grant application?
    An assessment can help establish a clear baseline, identify Level 1 gaps, prioritize needs, and provide objective information to guide future school safety and behavioral health investments.
  4. What are the Level 1 Baseline Criteria, and why do they matter?
    The SSSC Level 1 Baseline Criteria establishes foundational expectations related to physical security and behavioral health/school climate. Applicants should review the applicable criteria and understand where they currently have gaps before determining how grant funds will be used.
  5. Does it matter who conducts the assessment?
    Yes. Applicants should carefully review PCCD requirements regarding approved assessment criteria and assessor/vendor qualifications. For applicable grant-funded assessments, recognized assessors/vendors must meet PCCD/SSSC requirements. CSS has PCCD-approved assessors available to support school entities.
  6. Can assessment findings help us decide how to spend future funding?
    Yes. One of the primary benefits of an assessment is moving from assumptions to documented priorities:
    Assessment → Findings → Priorities → Action
    Findings can help school leaders determine which improvements should be addressed first and inform future funding and planning decisions.
  7. What should we include in our grant application if we want to use CSS?
    Clearly identify the need, the assessment being requested, its purpose, anticipated outcomes, and cost. Applicants should also obtain a CSS scope of work and cost estimate before finalizing their budget.
  8. How do we get started with CSS?
    Contact Center for Safe Schools as soon as possible to discuss your needs, determine the appropriate assessment service, and request a scope of work and cost estimate.