LAKEWOOD, Ohio (WJW) – Governor Mike DeWine announced Thursday that more than 900 schools will receive state funding support for physical safety and security upgrades as part of the latest round of Ohio’s K-12 School Safety Grant Program.

DeWine made the announcement while visiting Lakewood High School, which is one of 945 schools that will receive a combined $68 million in grants. A fifth round of funding will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the governor’s office.

A total of $112 million was allocated for the fourth and fifth rounds of the grant program by the Ohio General Assembly as part of House Bill 45, which was signed by Governor DeWine last month. The investment more than doubles the initial allotment of $105 million for the program provided by Ohio’s operating budget and the American Rescue Plan Act, according to the governor’s office.

Governor DeWine visited Lakewood High School on the second day of his “budget tour” to promote the priorities and initiatives that he outlined in his budget proposal during his State of the State address.

DeWine announced that the Lakewood City School District will receive $1 million in funding to improve safety and security in their buildings.

According to Lakewood Superintendent Maggie Niedzwiecki, that funding will be used for window and door safety updates, updating locks on doors and buying an amplifier for school resource officer radios to help with communication with law enforcement and between buildings.

While speaking at Lakewood High School, DeWine said student wellness is also a critical component of overall safety strategy in schools.

So far, a total of $173 million has been awarded to 2,374 Ohio K-12 schools to help pay for physical security expenses such as new security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems, and exterior lighting, according to the governor’s office.