Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

U.S. Department of Education Announces New Grant Program

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/10/21

The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that it is establishing a new grant program to provide funding to school districts that have been penalized for implementing safety measures against COVID-19. It will be available to districts that have had funds withheld by the state, or that have been otherwise financially penalized, for establishing policies to prevent the virus’ spread that align with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, such as mask mandates.

The new grant program is called Project SAFE (Supporting America’s Families and Educators) and will draw its funding from within the Department of Education, namely Title IV, Part F, School Safety National Activities, of the Every Student Succeeds Act, according to a news release. Districts can apply for Project SAFE grants to compensate for funding withheld by state leaders, such as salary cuts for school board members or superintendents. The goal is to provide schools with adequate resources to establish strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“Every student across the country deserves the opportunity to return to school in-person safely this fall, and every family should be confident that their school is implementing polices that keep their children safe,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We should be thanking districts for using proven strategies that will keep schools open and safe, not punishing them. We stand with the dedicated educators doing the right thing to protect their school communities, and this program will allow them to continue that critical work of keeping students safe.”

The news release states that, in the coming weeks, the Department of Education plans to send out a Notice Inviting Applications for eligible schools to apply for the Project SAFE grant. The news release says that the department “plans to make grant awards as expeditiously as possible and on an ongoing basis. The Department will make grant awards directly to local education agencies.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Countway Library at Harvard Medical School

    From Shadows to Sanctuary: The Transformation of Light at Countway Library

    The renovation of Countway Library at Harvard Medical School demonstrates how biophilic design and advanced lighting strategies transformed a formerly dark, insular space into a vibrant, welcoming hub that supports wellness, learning, and community engagement.

  • Little Grand Market

    Designing for Belonging: Why Student Wellness Starts with Space

    From walkable site planning to flexible interiors, intentional design choices play a critical role in how students experience comfort, connection, and community.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • LSU Breaks Ground on $200M Residential Project

    Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., recently broke ground on a new residential complex, according to university news. The South Quad residential project will consist of two buildings and add a total of 1,266 beds for freshmen students. The development comes with a price tag of $200 million, and it’s scheduled to open to students in fall 2027.