MICHIGAN STATE POLICE (MSP) officials last week announced that 56 Michigan public school districts, 15 private schools, 11 charter schools and five sheriff’s departments will get a share of $4 million in funding to boost school safety.

Nancy Becker-Bennett, director of the MSP’s grants and community services division, said schools all over the state applied for the program.

“After Sandy Hook, after everything else that’s gone on in the schools, I think a lot of people are very cognizant of the fact that anyone can walk into many schools in our state,” Becker-Bennett said.

The Washtenaw Intermediate School District landed a $566,244 grant to boost school safety. The WISD operates cooperative programs and services that focus on teaching and learning for students in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run and Ypsilanti.

The second largest grant was $236,156 awarded to the Grosse Pointe Public School System.

Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch, a 90-student Jewish elementary school run by the orthodox movement in Oak Park, Mich.  was awarded a $110,000 grant for school safety.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Enterprise Academy located on Kercheval Ave. in Detroit and which serves 638 students—was awarded $15,500 by the MSP.

The grants announced last Friday will be used to purchase equipment and technology to improve the safety and security of school buildings, students and staff.

Police say more than 217,500 students will benefit from the safety improvements.

A complete list of award recipients is available on the state’s website. Grant recipients have until Sept. 15 to spend their awards. State police say more than $46 million in requests was made for funding through the Competitive School Safety Grant Program.