The Stronger Connections Grant was authorized under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Ohio received $35 million to award to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to provide students with safe and healthier learning environments that prepare them for success. Safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments are associated with improved academic achievement and emotional well-being of students, as well as with reductions in disciplinary actions, as described in this letter from the United States Department of Education. The SCG is a supplement to the Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program. The grant will be awarded competitively to LEAs that meet selected criteria indicating they are “High-Needs” for school health and safety.
Competitive Application Process
The Department made a competitive grant application available to eligible Local Education Agencies (LEAs), including public districts and community schools, in the Department’s CCIP e-grants system from March 1 - April 1, 2023. The Department pre-scored LEAs on Tier 1 and Tier 2 health and safety factors collected from the Electronic Management Information System (EMIS) data, including rates of poverty, chronic absenteeism and exclusionary discipline. The Department then loaded an estimated award amount into the CCIP application for each eligible LEA.
LEAs had to complete the Stronger Connections Grant application and submit in Authorized Representative Approved status to receive a Stronger Connections Grant award. LEAs that did not apply within the application window had the Tier 1 and Tier 2 base amounts removed from the Stronger Connections Grant Allocation page and reallocated to LEAs that demonstrated the highest need as a part of the Tier 3 scoring process. In total, 747 out of 924 eligible LEAs applied for the Stronger Connections Grant. All LEAs that applied for the Stronger Connections Grant received an award of at least the base award that was loaded in the CCIP.
Stronger Connections Grant Awards
The Department is pleased to announce the LEAs that received a Stronger Connections Grant Award. The grant award document includes Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 award amounts and a total award amount. The grant award document matches the allocation amounts in the Stronger Connections Grant application within the Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan (CCIP) system. In addition, the Superintendent/Authorized Representative for LEAs that receive a Stronger Connections Grant award will receive confirmation of this award through an email grant award notice.
Contact
For more information, contact strongerconnections@education.ohio.gov.
Resources
USED Stronger Connections Grant Frequently Asked Questions
Stronger Connections Grant Competitive Application Process
Stronger Connections Grant Frequently Asked Questions
Stronger Connections Grant Estimated Award Amounts
Stronger Connections Grant Application Template
Stronger Connections Grant Webinar 1
Stronger Connections Grant Webinar 2
Last Modified: 10/24/2023 6:38:23 AM