How Ohio School Safety Grants can support your school in 2026

What can Ohio school safety grants be used for?

School safety grants are intended to provide school leaders with flexibility in deciding how funds will be used to improve student and staff safety. Administrators and security staff are encouraged to review their school’s unique needs to identify appropriate improvements.

In an announcement published on November 4^th, 2025, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office offered some general guidance about practical uses for Ohio school security grant funding.

Allowable expenses include:

• School resource officer training
• Active-shooter or mental-health training
• School safety assessments
• Technologies such as IP security cameras, access control systems and sensors

Provided school leaders can demonstrate the safety benefits of implementing new systems and equipment, Ohio school safety grants can be used to fund the following technologies.

Video security solutions 

Ohio school safety grants for 2026 can be used to purchase new or improve existing video security systems. Schools may choose to:

• Improve visibility by buying and installing new school cameras.
• Enhance investigations by upgrading video management solutions.
• Integrate camera systems into wider security devices to power automated incident responses.

Access control systems

School leaders may use Ohio school security grants to upgrade and expand access control systems. Examples of school security-focused upgrades include:

• Installing mobile and biometric entry readers to help prevent unauthorized access.
• Utilizing smart locks to fortify school lockdown security systems.
• Installing a school visitor management system at points of entry.

Emergency response systems

Ohio school safety grants can provide necessary funding to build and enhance school emergency response systems. Funds may be used to purchase:

• Wearable panic buttons and spoken keyword sensors to help students and staff initiate emergency responses.
• Equipment that can be used to request assistance from first responders during emergencies.

Threat detection technologies

Ohio security grants for schools can help leaders and security teams leverage smart sensor technologies to strengthen threat detection capabilities. Individual and multi-sensor devices are designed to detect stimuli, including:

• Gunshots
• Break-ins
• Physical altercations

They can be installed and integrated into wider school security systems to help staff identify and respond to threats in real-time.

Security analytics solutions 

School administrators may determine that 2026 Ohio school safety grants will be best spent on analytics software to enhance security systems. AI-powered video analytics, for example, can be used to optimize security cameras by enabling systems to autonomously detect risks such as:

• Suspicious movements
• Persons carrying weapons
• Crowds forming in unusual areas

Available school safety grants in Ohio for 2026

Ohio schools are eligible for several grant awards in fiscal year 2026. School leaders may apply for multiple grants simultaneously, provided they meet the eligibility requirements stated in each program’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) / Request for Proposal (RFP).

For school board members, administrators, security leaders and staff interested in exploring 2026 Ohio school safety grant opportunities, the following section provides important details about all currently announced and expected Ohio school safety grants for fiscal year 2026.

Ohio Attorney General’s FY26 Program-Based School Safety Grant

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has announced over $9 million in grant funding for Ohio schools to help leaders improve school security for students and staff. Successful awards can be used to fund training, safety assessments and the purchase of school physical security equipment.

The program-based portion of the grant awards up to $40,000 to each eligible school district regardless of the number of students enrolled. Both this program-based grant and the following formula-based grant can be applied for simultaneously by eligible school districts.

• Application deadline: May 29^th, 2026
• Funding purpose: To help Ohio schools take steps to protect students and staff
• Funding amount: $40,000 per district as a program-based grant
• Eligibility requirements: Public and private K‑12 schools in Ohio
• How to apply: School districts can apply for funding through the Ohio Grants Portal

Ohio Attorney General’s FY26 Formula-Based School Safety Grant

As part of the Ohio Attorney General’s over $9 million 2026 Ohio school safety grant project, school districts in the state of Ohio may apply for a formula-based grant worth up to $2,500 or $4.50 per student to fund organizational and technological school security improvements.

School districts must apply for the formula-based portion of the grant independently from the previously mentioned program-based grant. Both portions of the Attorney General’s Ohio school safety grant for 2026 draw from the same central pool of $9.01 million in total grant funding.

• Application deadline: May 29^th, 2026
• Funding purpose: To help Ohio schools take steps to protect students and staff
• Funding amount: $2,500 or $4.50 per student as a formula-based grant
• Eligibility requirements: Public and private K‑12 schools in Ohio
• How to apply: School districts can apply for funding through the Ohio Grants Portal

Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program 

The Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program is a funding opportunity issued by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW). It aims to help schools across the state improve transportation safety through funding of upgrades to bus safety features.

A total of $10 million will be issued to schools across the state through competitive grants to fund the repair, replacement or addition of school bus safety equipment. The grant is intended to be flexible, allowing districts to tailor purchases to specific needs.

• Application deadline: November 14^th, 2025
• Funding purpose: To enhance the safety of school transportation across Ohio
• Funding amount: $10 million in total funding
• Eligibility requirements: Ohio school districts, chartered nonpublic schools, STEM schools, educational service centers and county boards of developmental disabilities
• How to apply: Schools can apply through the DEW’s One Funding Application site

BWC Safety Grants Program FY26

As part of its Safety Grants Program for FY26, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is making funds available to Ohio schools to improve school safety. BWC 2026 Ohio school safety grants will draw from a total funding pool of over $41 million.

Ohio schools are eligible for the BWC Safety and Security Grant, which can be used to purchase a wide range of security equipment, including cameras, access control systems and panic buttons for schools. The maximum award is worth $40,000 every 3 years at a 3:1 price match.

• Application deadline: Ongoing.
• Funding purpose: To improve security and safety equipment in Ohio schools.
• Funding amount: $40,000 every 3 years. Schools must match funding at a 3:1 rate.
• Eligibility requirements: Employers that operate K‑12 schools in the state of Ohio.
• How to apply: Employers can apply through the BWC Grant Management Portal.

The State of Ohio Security Grant 

The State of Ohio Security Grant is an annual funding opportunity issued by the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA). It aims to help awardees prevent, prepare for and respond to acts of terrorism. 

The FY26 grant awarded chartered non-public schools and DEW-licensed preschools in the state of Ohio a share of $8.5 million in total funding to finance equipment, such as physical access control and video security systems. The application window for each fiscal year typically opens in the fall.

• Application deadline: October 24^th, 2025 (FY26) / not yet confirmed (FY27).
• Funding purpose: To help reduce the risk and potential impact of terrorist attacks.
• Funding amount: (FY26) $8.5 million in total — $125,000 maximum award per site.
• Eligibility requirements: Chartered non-public schools, DEW-licensed preschools.
• How to apply: Applicants must work with law enforcement to complete a security and vulnerability assessment before applying through the Ohio EMA web portal.

Steps to applying for 2026 Ohio school safety grants

Ohio school security grant programs are highly competitive, with around 5,000 educational institutions across the state potentially eligible for some form of school security grant funding. 

Most grants are awarded in order of priority, with applicants who meet the selection criteria and submit applications on time generally more likely to receive relevant awards.

For school leaders planning to apply for Ohio school safety grants in 2026 or later, here are some practical tips for selecting suitable programs and crafting effective proposals.

1. Start investigating opportunities early

The sooner school leaders can begin reviewing program information, forming a grant team and collecting required evidence, the greater their chances of writing a successful proposal.

Ideally, research should begin around 3 – 6 months before the application deadline, though for annual grants, research can begin even sooner. Leaders can use services like Grants​.gov or the Ohio Schools Council grant finder tool to identify relevant and available grant programs.

2. Carefully review the NOFO

Grant opportunities are accompanied by a document called a Notice of Funding Opportunity or a Request for Proposal, which describes the purpose, details and requirements of the program.

Alongside deadline dates, formatting rules and eligibility requirements, these documents provide a framework for how successful proposals will be structured. Grant writers should use the headers within the NOFO to build a skeleton for the required information to be added to.

3. Collect and organize supporting evidence

Due to the competitive nature of Ohio school security grants, awards are most likely to be allocated to schools that can demonstrate a present and essential need for grant funding.

Leaders should review the NOFO to identify the types of evidence requested by the awarding body, then collect and organize data, including risk assessments, police reports and campus surveys, to ensure writers have access to quality information while making their case. 

4. Provide clear goals, budgets and timelines 

The management and delivery of grant-funded projects can be complicated and costly post-award, meaning awarding bodies will often prioritise proposals with clear, planned structures.

A successful proposal will clearly define the main goal of the project, the expected costs of required equipment, resources and labor, as well as realistic dates for the completion of different stages. Provisions must be made to address potential issues in a reasonable and timely manner.

5. Submit applications as early as possible

For the greatest chance of success when applying for Ohio school safety grants in 2026 and beyond, leaders should aim to submit applications at least a week before the deadline.

The sooner proposals are finalized and reviewed, the more time leaders will have to prepare for project delivery and address any unforeseen issues with the submission process. All grant team members should be made aware of deadlines as soon as preparations begin.

Improve your school’s security with Ohio school safety grants

Funding for school safety grants in Ohio has increased year-over-year since 2024, with the Attorney General’s Office distributing over $9 million in grant funding to schools across the state in FY26 to help leaders strengthen security measures, technologies and preparedness.

Educators are encouraged to explore grant opportunities through channels like Grants​.gov and the Ohio Schools Council, prepare applications on time and use awards to install or enhance existing protections, such as video security, access control and alarm systems.