Safety and Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) Grant Cycle 2 Information
| Date: | December 14, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Safety and Facilities Enhancement (SAFE) Grant Cycle 2 Information |
| Category: | School Safety |
| Next Steps: | LEAs complete the Compliance Assessment |
Overview
On May 31, 2023, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released the adopted 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 61, School Districts, Subchapter CC, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning School Facilities, §61.1031, School Safety Requirements, also known as the School Safety Standards, to provide a minimum safety standard for educational facilities throughout the state of Texas.
SAFE Grant Cycle 2
The 88th Texas Legislative Session appropriated $1.1B to support school systems in meeting the adopted School Safety Standards. SAFE Grant Cycle 2 will award $279.5M from the overall legislative appropriation to local educational agencies (LEAs) through a formula grant process. This funding is designated to help LEAs meet the required safety standards as well as other statutory school safety requirements.
Eligibility
LEAs meeting the enrollment criteria below are eligible to apply for this grant program:
- School districts and open-enrollment charter schools with a reported enrollment of at least one student from the October 2021 PEIMS fall snapshot submission will be eligible for funding.
- Charter schools that opened prior to January 1, 2024 (the date of grant availability).
- Note: Private schools are not eligible recipients for funding.
Required Compliance Assessment
As part of the process to receive a SAFE Cycle 2 grant award, LEAs are required to complete a compliance assessment. The window to complete the compliance assessment is December 14, 2023, to January 31, 2024. The compliance assessment can be accessed through the Intruder Detection Audit Dashboard.
SAFE Grant Cycle 2 Webinars
To support LEAs through the Compliance Assessment and Cycle 2 grants process, TEA will be hosting a series of webinars in January. Please click the link below to sign up for a webinar. Note: webinar attendance is optional.
- Register for the January 9th webinar at 3:00 p.m.
- Register for the January 10th webinar at 10:00 a.m.
- Register for the January 11th webinar at 12:00 p.m.
Reminder – SAFE Cycle 1 Application
The SAFE Grant Cycle 1 application window closes January 8, 2024, for awarded districts. Please submit your application in the eGrants portal through January 8, 2024.
Grant details are available on the TEA Grant Opportunities page.
Additional Supports and Questions
Please visit the School Safety page often to stay up to date on the most recent school safety guidance. If you have any questions, please email safeschools@tea.texas.gov.