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School Safety Grants / Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania school safety grants

  • Formula grants through PCCD, plus federal programs.
  • What each one funds, and whether cameras qualify.
  • Official sources on every program.
PA PCCD1 day leftOct 16BJA STOP15 days leftOct 30

Checked October 15, 2026. Confirm dates before you apply.

Pennsylvania programs

Open nowCameras: sometimesPA

School Safety & Mental Health Grants (2026-27)

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)

Amount

$100M appropriated for 2026-27, plus about $38.8M in unspent prior-year funds.

Noncompetitive and formula-based. See the announcement for terms.

Next deadline

Egrants: Oct 16, 2026, 11:59 pm.

What it funds

  • Physical security, behavioral health, or both.
  • Level 1 Baseline Criteria must be met first, before other eligible items.
  • AEDs and AED/CPR training (new under Act 17 of 2026).

Who can apply

  • School districts, career and technical centers, intermediate units, charter schools (incl. cyber and regional).
  • Private schools apply separately (Targeted School Safety grants, not yet issued for 2026-27).

Cameras

Physical security is eligible once Level 1 Baseline Criteria are met. Check the criteria.

How VOLT fits

  • If you meet Level 1 already, camera-based safety can be a physical security item.
  • VOLT uses the cameras you have, so there is no new camera hardware to budget.

Sources: PCCD 2026-27 funding announcement (PDF) · PCCD FAQ tracker (PDF) · PCCD applicant webinar slides (PDF). Checked Oct 15, 2026.

More on PCCD: Pennsylvania PCCD grant and VOLT.

Background: Funding options for school security in Pennsylvania.

Federal programs open to Pennsylvania schools

Open nowCameras: not eligibleFederal

STOP School Violence Program (FY 2026)

U.S. DOJ, Bureau of Justice Assistance

Amount

Category 1 up to $2,000,000. Category 2 up to $1,000,000. About $111.1M in total.

No match required.

Next deadline

Grants.gov: Oct 30, 2026, 11:59 pm ET. JustGrants: Nov 6, 2026, 8:59 pm ET.

What it funds

  • Training to prevent violence against others and self.
  • Threat assessment and intervention teams.
  • Anonymous reporting tools: apps, hotlines, websites.
  • Training for staff responding to mental health crises.

Who can apply

  • Category 1: states; public and state-controlled colleges.
  • Category 2: cities, counties, tribes, independent school districts, private and public charter schools, private colleges, nonprofits.

Does not fund

  • Target-hardening equipment. BJA sends these requests to COPS SVPP.
  • New school resource officers or armed security.
  • Higher-education campus violence projects.

Cameras

Not for cameras. Security equipment is target hardening, which STOP does not fund.

How VOLT fits

  • STOP does not pay for VOLT. We say so up front.
  • Use STOP for training and reporting. Look at SVPP or your state program for camera work.

Sources: BJA FY26 STOP solicitation page · BJA FY26 STOP NOFO (PDF). Checked Oct 15, 2026.

Closed for this cycleCameras: sometimesFederal

COPS School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)

U.S. DOJ, COPS Office

Amount

Up to $500,000 per award, over 36 months. Up to $73M in FY26. Microgrants up to $100,000.

At least 25% local cash match, unless a waiver is approved.

Next deadline

FY26 closed Aug 11, 2026. Awards on or after Oct 1, 2026. The FY26 NOFO opened June 9; FY27 is not announced yet.

What it funds

  • Technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement in an emergency.
  • Metal detectors, locks, lighting and other deterrents.
  • Coordination with local law enforcement.
  • Training for local officers to prevent school violence.

Who can apply

  • States, local governments, tribes and their public agencies.
  • Public agencies can include school districts. Check the NOFO.

Cameras

Fits when the project speeds up notifying law enforcement in an emergency.

How VOLT fits

  • VOLT runs on the cameras you already have.
  • It flags someone who needs help or a visible weapon.
  • By default, a VOLT reviewer checks it before your team is notified.
  • That maps to the "expedited notification" purpose area.

Sources: COPS FY26 SVPP NOFO (PDF) · COPS FY26 SVPP fact sheet (PDF) · COPS Office grants and awards. Checked Oct 15, 2026.

Ask us for help with your application

  • Tell us your state and the program (PA PCCD, STOP or SVPP).
  • We help with the technology section and budget.
  • We tell you plainly if VOLT is not a fit for that program.
  • Not sure where to start? Take the 2-minute readiness assessment.

Questions

Can PA PCCD pay for security cameras?

Physical security is eligible once Level 1 Baseline Criteria are met. Check the criteria. Egrants: Oct 16, 2026, 11:59 pm.

Are there federal grants for Pennsylvania schools?

Yes. BJA STOP is open now for training and reporting tools, not cameras. COPS SVPP funds emergency notification technology; its next round is not announced yet.

Will VOLT help with my application?

Yes. Tell us your program and we will help with the technology section and budget.

Other states

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