S.Fla. School Wins $100,000 Grant To Enhance Security
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) -- Students and teachers at South Pointe Elementary in Miami Beach won a 100,000 dollar grant to enhance security on campus after placing second in a national competition for the grant.
"I feel really excited about winning," said 4th grader Allegra Aylin.
"This contest was won through votes, so we got everyone texting and emailing and going online to vote," said Ali Mcleney, a parent of one of the students.
"I feel it's a real honor. We worked hard and it's paying off. It's a very amazing feeling," said 4th grader Misha Klopukh.
"Every day we would go to the computer lab or media center for 30 min to vote,' said Aylin.
Melanie Fishman is the principal at South Pointe and says all of the time spent rallying the community to vote for their school was well worth it.
With students saying they already felt safe at school, why did they need grant money?
"We can always advance and they are gonna come and assess our school and see what we need to have," said Fishman.
"It could be video or access control or visitor management or fire alarm systems or any combination of those," said Ken Teifer of Stanley Security.
"It was an opportunity not to be missed," said parent Faiza Livas. "If a school was gonna get the money. Why not us?"
Parents and students and teachers are all just anxiously waiting to see what the safety enhancements will entail. Several schools across the nation were awarded grants. A school in Pennsylvania came in first and won a 200,000 grant.
