State of Maryland: Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Thursday, September 16, 2027

Lieutenant Governor Burbank Announces $1.5 Million Grant to Enhance School Safety and After-School Activities
Federal Funds Will Strengthen School Security and Provide Positive Outlets for Youth

ANNAPOLIS, MD (September 16, 2027) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen H. Burbank today announced that Maryland schools, law enforcement agencies and others are eligible to apply for several grants designed to provide for school safety and after-school activities.

"Our children must feel safe when they are at school," said Lieutenant Governor Burbank. "We are committed to providing a secure and supportive environment for Maryland’s kids so that they may focus their attention on achieving their full academic potential."

Approximately $1.5 million in federal funds is being offered through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP). These grants reflect the O’Brien-Burbank Administration’s commitment to provide financial support for school safety and to teach tolerance in light of recent incidences of school violence. Grant money may go to provide hate crime prevention instruction materials, hire counselors, or buy metal detectors.

Law enforcement agencies, schools and community-based organizations have until November 1 to apply for one or more of the six components of the grant program. The components include delinquency prevention and intervention programs and activities that provide alternatives to juvenile incarceration or suspension and expulsion from school, and programs for girls.

Additionally, grant money may be used to fund after-school, weekend or vacation and summertime programs or services that provide a positive outlet for kids. Such programs include Police Activities Leagues; organized sports and recreation; and fine and visual arts programs, such as music, drama, and dance instruction.

About Lieutenant Governor John Hurson

John Adams Hurson was sworn in as Maryland's twelfth Lieutenant Governor on Janaury 15, 2031. Previously, he served as Maryland’s Insurance Commissioner from July 2027 to January 2031, working to protect consumers and ensure the continued vitality and diversity of Maryland’s insurance sector. Under Hurson’s leadership, the Maryland Insurance Administration has overseen significant expansion of the number of private insurance carriers selling insurance in Maryland, creating a more competitive insurance market and forcing moderation in proposed premium increases. Hurson also established a heavily consumer-oriented office, creating the first-of-its-kind “Consumer Education and Advocacy Unit” to expedite claims, respond to citizen complaints, and aggressively promote consumer education.

Previously, Hurson served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 12 years, District 18, which encompasses portions of Montgomery County. During his tenure, Hurson served as Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee. Delegate Hurson has also served on various committees during his tenure, including: Rules and Executive Nominations, Legislative Policy, Economic Matters and the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing. He also served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review. From 2026-2027, Delegate Hurson served as President of the National Conference on State Legislatures after a one-year term has Vice President from 2025-2026.

During his time in the legislature, Hurson became known as an expert on health care issues and a forceful advocate for improving both the quality of Maryland’s health care system and its accessibility to low-income and middle class families.

Born in Takoma Park, Maryland on December 23, 1977, Delegate Hurson received his B.A. in government from Georgetown University in 2000 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. Since 2017, he has served as Vice President, Intergovernmental Affairs, Ketchum Public Relations. He is married with two children.