Ohio Attorney General’s FY26 Program Based School Safety Grant

The Ohio Attorney General’s Program Based School Safety Grant provides targeted funding to enhance the safety and climate of schools across the state. Managed by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, this grant aligns with the state’s continued efforts to support proactive school safety initiatives. The funding supports both preventive and responsive measures to ensure a secure learning environment for students and staff, and is implemented in consultation with the Director of Education and Workforce and the Director of Behavioral Health. The grant’s core purpose is to bolster the safety infrastructure and culture of educational institutions through a wide range of eligible uses. These include school resource officer certification training, active shooter training, safety-related school supplies and equipment, student mental health identification and support training, and educational resources across all grade levels. The funding can also cover any other school safety-related training, supplies, or services deemed necessary. Grants may also support law enforcement agencies or nonprofit training entities, provided the funding is not duplicative of similar requests from schools in the same jurisdiction. Eligibility is open to a broad set of educational institutions and authorities, including chartered nonpublic schools, community schools, county boards of developmental disabilities, STEM schools, and traditional public schools. Applications must be submitted at the organizational level using a district Information Retrieval Number (IRN), though funded activities may be implemented at the building level. Applicants are encouraged to use the Ohio Educational Directory System to find their appropriate IRN. The program supports collaboration with local law enforcement agencies or county sheriff’s offices to develop and deliver safety-related training and resources. This cooperative framework ensures that programs are localized, responsive, and in alignment with existing community safety infrastructures. If grants are awarded to law enforcement agencies or nonprofits on behalf of schools, such funding cannot duplicate other grant-supported efforts within the same jurisdiction. Applications are accepted starting October 27, 2025, and must be submitted by May 29, 2026. The project performance period begins July 1, 2025, and ends June 30, 2026. Funding is capped at $40,000 per eligible organization, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. No matching funds are required. Applicants may direct questions to the program’s dedicated email, SchoolSafetyGrants@OhioAGO.gov. The funding is non-recurring, with no explicit mention of annual renewal. As such, potential applicants should act within the current grant cycle’s timeline to secure support. Program administration is centralized under the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, with coordination between multiple state-level departments to ensure strategic alignment of objectives and accountability in program delivery.