Is your district interested in purchasing a Central Technologies school technology solution, including security, safety and interactive panels, but having difficulty fitting it into your budget? Below is a link to our list of federal, state, and private funding sources that can be tapped to help purchase school safety technology.

Federal Sources:

E-Rate Program

  • E-rate funding can help K-12 schools digitize and deliver customized anytime, anywhere learning and rich online experiences.
  • The FCC started E-rate to help schools and libraries provide affordable broadband access. The program offers 20-85% discounts on technology purchases—the specific rate is determined by each district’s poverty level and rurality.
  • E-rate funding is available in two categories: Category One (C1): Data transmission and Internet services and Category Two (C2): Internal connection such as switches, routers, wireless, basic firewalls

Department of Homeland Security State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)

  • Awards are made to states and territories, from which districts apply for funds
  • Grants are awarded per fiscal year; consult DHS SHSP link above and state homeland security offices for future funding availability, eligibility requirements, and details
  • SHSP supports state, tribal, territorial, and local preparedness activities that address gaps in terrorism preparedness
  • Priority: Risk management for protection programs and activities, particularly in high-risk urban areas

U.S. Department of Education Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV)

  • Grants to fund short-term and long-term education-related services to help schools recover from violent or traumatic events in which learning environments have been disrupted
  • Funding appropriation changes from year to year; consult U.S. DOE SERV link above for specific information regarding future funding availability

For more information, contact Hamed Y. Negron-Perez, [email protected], U.S. Department of Education OSHS/OESE, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Rm. 3C130, LBJ, Washington, DC 20202, 202-453-6725.

Rural and Low-Income School Program (RLIS)

  • Provides rural and low-income districts with funding to improve student achievement, including improving school safety
  • Annual awards issued to state education agencies, which make sub-grants to districts; Awards are made to all states that apply and meet the applicable requirements
  • Eligible districts: 20+% of students ages 5 through 17 must be from families below the poverty line; all schools must have designated school locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43

For application information, contact David Cantrell, Ph.D., Office of School Support and Rural Programs, U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, 400 Maryland Ave. S.W., Washington, DC 20202-6400, 202-401-0039, mailto:[email protected], or contact your REAP Program State Coordinator.

Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Program

  • Designed to improve school security by providing students and teachers with the tools they need to recognize, respond quickly to, and help prevent acts of violence.
  • The Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services provides grants to states, units of local government, and Indian tribes.
  • Award recipients must use evidence-based strategies and programs such as those identified by the National Institute of Justice’s Comprehensive School Safety Initiative.

For application information, contact David Adams, Senior Policy Advisor, 202-514-5309, mailto:[email protected]

State Sources:

Most state education departments offer school safety program grants, which often fund school safety technologies.

  • 28 states with dedicated school safety funding: Al, AZ, AK, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, PA, TN, TX, VT, WI

Contact your TN state agency for funding details, eligibility, and deadlines.

Private & Corporate Sources:

Ongoing grant programs with varying eligibility requirements and application windows. Consult the links below for specific details.

PDF Version of this information: Funding Sources for Technology