DOE details Safe Grants and public school infrastructure fund; $9.2M wait list remains for school-safety projects

Department of Education staff described the Safe Grants program (Security Action for Education Grants) and its relationship to the Public School Infrastructure Fund, noting the fund's legislative origin and how it has been used primarily for school safety projects since major national incidents prompted new appropriations.

The department explained the fund received an initial allocation after the 2018 school-safety funding authorization and subsequent infusions following national shootings. Funds have supported access control, surveillance and emergency-alert projects; recent rounds capped awards at $100,000 per school and awarded funds in order of received applications, with prioritization criteria agreed with Department of Homeland Security and the Public School Infrastructure Fund committee.

Staff said historically the fund was seeded from excess general funds after the annual audit and the rainy-day cap, and later received Education Trust Fund and federal supplemental allocations; the packet shows past rounds and award totals. The department said applications are reimbursement-based and projects can remain on a wait list until funds are released or projects close and return unused funds. "The last time we accepted applications was in fiscal year 24; right now there is about $9.2 million on the wait list," staff said, noting timing and practical reasons why approved schools may take time to draw down awarded funds.

Ending: Department staff offered to provide the committee an updated wait-list tally and to run future application rounds as funds are available; staff also noted the program is an administratively competitive reimbursement program tied to available appropriations rather than an entitlement.