The ACV School District Was Awarded a PCCD Safety Grant
Emlenton's Police Chief, Michael Mills
Meet Emlenton’s Police Chief, Michael Mills. Chief Mills comes from Slippery Rock, Pa. with many years under his belt in law enforcement, criminal investigation, business management, and in a supervisory position.
Chief Mills has a Master’s of Business Administration & Healthcare from Youngstown State University; a Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia Southern University in AL; he has a Certificate of Completion from Butler County Community College for Personal Care Administrator Training; he’s certified in criminal justice from the Community College of Beaver County, attended Clarion University in Education and is a Beaver Falls Senior High School Graduate.
Mills is looking forward to his time serving the Emlenton area along with the Richland Township, Venango County, and the A-C Valley School District in Foxburg. The Emlenton Borough has reached agreements with both the Richland Township Supervisors and the A-C Valley School Board for police services from the Emlenton Police Department.
The ACV School District was awarded a safety grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The A-CV School applied for and was awarded $109,safety-related458 for both Mental Health and Physical/Safety and Security for a total of $218,916 for safety related upgrades for the 2022-2023 school year.
ACV’s PCCD grant will be used to renew the partnership with the Emlenton Borough and to contract with their Chief of Police, Mike Mills. Both the A-CV School Board and Emlenton Borough have approved this arrangement. Chief Mills will be on campus 10 hours per week, With Chief Mills experience he will be able to offer additional safety support and will help the school safety coordinator in updating safety procedures on and off campus. Chief Mills will be on campus during the day and also supervise various after-school and evening activities.
Grant funds will also be used to purchase a new SUV for the school police officer to help monitor the campus during the day. The school principals, counselors, and attendance officers will be able to use this vehicle for home visits, and various professional development opportunities.
The grant will also be used to upgrade the school's safety-related communication systems, such as outdoor horn speakers for use during outdoor activities. 12 IP Color Visual Alerters will be added in strategic areas throughout the school. All classrooms and offices will have upgraded phones through a three-year period.
A-CV will be using the mental health grant to provide additional Social Worker Support for the students. Other mental health supports for students will also be explored, such as a collaborative approach with glad Run to offer a License Therapist, IU6 License Professional Counselor, and/or School-Based Therapist. The grant will also be used to purchase additional reading material for the Elementary School Counselor’s office.
In addition, the school is planning to add the Rhithm program for the 2023-2024 school year. The Rhithm program is an online program that will be used by students to “check in” during homeroom. The “check in” will only take a few minutes and will provide our teachers and counselors with immediate and confidential feedback about students’ mental health needs.
Now that Emlenton has a police Chief, the borough will be looking for another police officer in the near future.