CHICAGO (AP) — A school safety program beefed up after dozens of Chicago schools were closed last year will get a $10 million infusion from the state of Illinois for further expansion, Gov. Pat Quinn announced Thursday.

Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest district, started the Safe Passage program in 2009 after concerns rose about the safety of students traveling to and from schools in city neighborhoods. It was expanded last year after the district closed dozens of schools and parents and community groups feared for children’s safety, including concerns about students having to cross gang lines to attend school.