Federal Grant Funding for Safer Schools
The COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) is a competitive federal grant administered by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The program helps eligible school districts, law enforcement agencies, local governments, and tribal governments invest in evidence-based technologies and security improvements that help create safer learning environments for students, teachers, staff, and visitors.
For the current funding cycle, up to $73 million is available nationwide, with awards of up to $500,000 per project. Standard awards require a 25% local cash match, while qualifying microgrants may receive a waiver of the matching requirement.
Build a Comprehensive School Safety Strategy
Successful school safety projects go beyond installing individual security devices. The strongest grant applications demonstrate a comprehensive approach that combines technology, emergency planning, and coordination between schools and first responders.
Projects should support a safer campus by improving:
- Emergency communications
- Campus security and situational awareness
- Visitor management
- Controlled building access
- Emergency notification
- Coordination with local law enforcement
- Emergency response planning
- Overall operational readiness
The goal is to create an integrated safety ecosystem that helps schools prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from critical incidents.