Butler County has expanded its reach for spreading out federal funds for drug/alcohol prevention and mental health programs.

Formerly available only to public school districts, the county's mini-grants are now available to private schools.

Along with Butler, Karns City, Mars, Moniteau, Seneca Valley, Slippery Rock and South Butler school districts, Holy Sepulcher Elementary School in Middlesex Township this year received a $4,000 grant.

The county commissioners on Oct. 4 approved the $32,000 grant distribution.

Butler County began distributing the mini-grants in the mid-'90s. The mini-grant program is jointly overseen by the county's drug and alcohol and mental health departments.

Betty Gaul, director of the county drug and alcohol department, said on Thursday that schools are encouraged to use the grant money for a series of educational programs, reinforcing the same messages at various grade levels. She said a one-shot school assembly is not as effective.

The prevention programs, which run the gamut of drug and alcohol prevention to anti-bullying, use positive reinforcement to teach students how to make good choices, she said.

Since such funds are not restricted as to where they are distributed in the community, the county decided to open up the grant application process to private schools.

"We're spreading the dollars further, reaching more kids," Gaul said.

The seven school districts each received $5,000 last year.

Although several private schools expressed interest in the receiving the funding, only Holy Sepulcher was ready to move forward this year.

A new program funded by the minigrants this year is the Butler Junior High School chapter of Stand Tall, which entails using a positive peer pressure group promoting drug and alcohol prevention.

Stand Tall members vow to abstain from using drugs and alcohol and volunteer to participate in random drug screenings.

County schools also are using the Starfish program, which develops peer leadership.

Older students work with younger students, such as upperclassmen mentoring junior high students, teaching values and teamwork.

Gaul hopes to continue expanding the mini-grant funding to more schools in the coming years as long as the money is available.

Schools interested in receiving the funding for programming next year should call Gaul at 724-284-5114.