Federal school-safety grant review begins before 2026 awards
The U.S. Department of Education will begin peer review Aug. 17 for the fiscal 2026 School Safety Enhancement grant competition, moving state applications into evaluation while final awards remain pending.
The review is scheduled to run through Aug. 28, with panel calls set for Aug. 19, Aug. 21 and Aug. 25. Reviewers will score applications, write comments and discuss them as part of the process used to inform federal funding decisions.
The competition carries an estimated $93 million and lists 30 expected awards. State educational agencies had to submit applications by July 28, and the application period is closed. The department expects to make awards no later than Dec. 31, 2026.
Review is not an award announcement
The peer-review period is an evaluation stage, not a notice that any state has won funding. Reviewers are expected to independently assess applications, provide detailed comments and participate in panel discussions. Their feedback will inform funding decisions, but the Education Department has not announced recipients.
The program page says this is the first year the grant has been competed and that there are no previous awards. Future awards will be posted by the department once they are announced.
States are the only direct applicants
Only state educational agencies may apply, and each state may submit one application. Local school districts and private schools cannot apply directly to the federal competition.
If a state receives an award, it may provide subgrants to local educational agencies to carry out activities described in its approved application. A state may also administer the work itself, so funding for individual districts is not automatic.
The competition is an Education Department program, although the Federal Register notice says the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is soliciting applications on the Education Department’s behalf.
What the grants may support
Eligible activities include installing or upgrading interior door locks and secure-entry systems, security cameras and other deterrent measures, perimeter controls, visitor-screening infrastructure and emergency communication systems.
The program also covers emergency-response planning and coordination, along with training and preparedness exercises for school personnel and school resource officers. These are allowable activities under a competitive grant, not a federal mandate requiring every school to adopt particular security measures.
Construction and firearms are excluded
Grant funds may support limited remodeling directly tied to approved security work, such as installing access-control equipment, emergency notification devices, secure-entry areas or related wiring. They may not be used for new buildings, additions, major renovations, unrelated capital improvements, whole-campus fencing or other prohibited construction activities.
Federal law also bars using these funds to provide dangerous weapons or training in their use, which excludes firearms purchases from the program.
What parents and employees should watch
Parents, teachers and other school employees should not expect immediate changes from this competition. The next major milestone is the Aug. 17-28 peer-review period, followed by federal award decisions expected no later than Dec. 31, 2026.
Any later effect on individual schools will depend on which state agencies receive awards and whether those agencies establish subgrant programs for districts. Until then, the competition represents a potential source of targeted security and preparedness funding, not a confirmed upgrade for any particular school.
Sources
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