Ohio school districts can now apply for a share of $9.01 million in state grants for safety projects in the 2027-28 school year, Attorney General Andy Wilson announced on November 3.
The money was approved by the 136th General Assembly as part of House Bill 96, and it is open to every school district in the state. There are two separate grants, districts can apply for one or both, and the awards are first-come, first-served: when the money runs out, the window closes, even though the formal application deadline is May 28, 2027.
“Protecting our schools takes teamwork, resources and readiness,” Wilson said. “The technology and training funded by these grants will strengthen security across Ohio’s classrooms, supporting a safe environment where students can thrive.”
The two grants, in plain numbers
The formula-based grant pays $2,500 per organization or $4.50 per student, whichever amount is greater. A small district gets at least the $2,500 floor; a district with 2,000 students would be looking at $9,000 on the per-student calculation.
The program-based grant pays up to $40,000 per organization, regardless of how many students the district has. That makes it the bigger prize for small districts, whose formula amount would otherwise be modest.
Both grants run until the funds are exhausted. Because awards are first-come, first-served, a district that applies in November is in a stronger position than one that waits until spring, long before the May 28, 2027 deadline matters.
What the money can pay for
The program is deliberately flexible, so districts can spend on their own safety plans. The Attorney General’s office lists these eligible uses:
- Certification training for school resource officers
- Active-shooter response training or equipment
- Educational resources for all grade levels
- Training to identify and assist students with mental-health issues
- School supplies or equipment related to safety, or for implementing a school-safety plan
- Systems that give responding law enforcement immediate camera access
- Silent panic alarms
- Gunshot-detection technology
- License-plate reader alerts for vehicles belonging to registered sex offenders
- Alert systems warning of wanted dangerous individuals
- Any other training related to school safety
In practice, that covers most of what districts usually ask for: training, cameras and alert systems, and the staff time to learn them.
How to apply
Applications are being accepted through the Ohio School Safety Center and the Ohio Grants Portal. In the portal, choose “Funding Opportunities,” then select either “Ohio Attorney General’s FY27 Formula Based School Safety Grant” or “Ohio Attorney General’s FY27 Program Based School Safety Grant.”
Districts with questions can email the Attorney General’s office at SchoolSafetyGrants@OhioAGO.gov.
One practical point: this is the FY27 round of an annual program. Last year’s round ran on the same structure and the same $9.01 million figure, so districts that applied before will find the process familiar. Districts that sat out last year should not assume the money will still be there in May: first-come, first-served means the deadline is a backstop, not a promise.
What it means for parents
Parents cannot apply; the grants go to districts and schools. But parents can ask a simple question at the next board or PTO meeting: has our district applied for both grants yet? A district that files early for both the formula grant and the up-to-$40,000 program grant is leaving nothing on the table.
School funding in Ohio comes from several different pots, and they are easy to confuse. This grant program pays for safety projects only. For a different question — whether your family qualifies for state help with private or alternative school tuition — our Ohio EdChoice scholarship checker walks through that program’s income and eligibility rules.
Applications for the FY27 school safety grants are open now, and the money is available until it is gone or May 28, 2027, whichever comes first.
