COLUMBUS, Ohio – Governor Mike DeWine, alongside Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Director Stephen D. Dackin, announced a new $10 million Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program designed to strengthen student transportation safety across the state.
The competitive grant program will help schools repair, replace, or add authorized safety features to buses already in service, as well as fund safety upgrades on new school bus purchases.
“Whether they are in the classroom or on the school bus, our commitment to parents and families is to do whatever we can to keep students safe,” said Governor DeWine. “These School Bus Safety Grant funds further this goal to ensure Ohio students are safe on their way to and from school, and when traveling to athletics and other school activities.”
The grant program stems from recommendations made by the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group, a panel convened by DeWine in 2023 to review student transportation. In its January 2024 report, the group concluded that while buses are still the safest form of school transportation, more could be done to enhance safety. The group recommended state funding to help districts afford safety equipment upgrades.
“The Governor’s School Bus Safety Working Group made important recommendations, and I encourage school leaders to look at their local school bus needs when applying for these funds,” said Director Dackin. “These funds are an important reflection of Ohio’s priorities of student safety and well-being.”
Eligible applicants include city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school districts, as well as community schools, STEM schools, chartered nonpublic schools, educational service centers, and county boards of developmental disabilities.
Applications will be accepted through the state’s ED STEPS e-grant system until November 14 at 5 p.m.
The full working group report lists 17 recommendations addressing issues ranging from bus driver recruitment and training to road safety and emergency response.
For more details on the Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program, visit the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce website.
