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Katy ISD seeks state grants for cybersecurity, radios and body‑worn cameras; most require limited or no local match
Summary
District staff told trustees they applied for several competitive state grants: about $66,000 for cybersecurity assessment, logging and workforce development (20% district match required, ~$16,000), and multiple criminal-justice/crisis grants for body‑worn cameras, radios, community outreach and positive-behavior supports that require no local
Katy ISD staff told trustees on March 24 they have submitted multiple competitive grant applications to the Office of the Governor and other state programs for cybersecurity and public‑safety equipment and programs.
Nikia Koi, executive director of federal programs, said the district applied for three cybersecurity grants through the state and local cybersecurity grant program focusing on assessment and evaluation (penetration testing and logging) and workforce development (technology staff training). The three cybersecurity applications together request about $66,000 in state funds and carry a combined 20% district match requirement of about $16,000, Koi said.
In a separate set of applications under the criminal justice and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs, district staff seek funds for body‑worn cameras, radio equipment and community outreach and crisis‑intervention programming. Koi said one body‑worn camera request totals about $136,000 and a radio upgrade request is about $146,000; two additional grants described in the presentation seek about $171,000 for community outreach and about $164,000 for positive‑behavior and school‑safety programs. Koi said those four applications do not require a district match.
Why it matters: Grant funds would pay for technology upgrades, training and outreach that the district otherwise would need to allocate from general or capital funds. Koi explained the Governor’s cybersecurity grants are “supplement, not supplant,” meaning the funds must enhance but not replace existing budgeted activities.
Next steps: The board was presented three cybersecurity resolutions to authorize participation in the program, and additional resolutions to authorize participation in the criminal‑justice grant programs. Trustees asked clarifying questions about the match amounts and whether the grants would supplant existing spending; staff said the match totals are small and that grant rules require enhancement, not replacement, of current services.
Provenance: Grant‑application summaries and proposed resolutions were on the March 24 work study meeting agenda and reviewed by district staff.
