Funder: Michigan Department of Education
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (Competitive application) | October 2027 (Grant application)
Funding Amounts: FY2026 allocation: up to $53.5 million in competitive grant funding
Summary: Supports hiring or contracting school resource officers and contracting safety dogs to improve school safety in Michigan.
Key Information: Applicants must provide a plan to sustain the position after grant funding ends.
Description
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), through its Office of Health and Safety, administers competitive grants for school resource officers (SROs) and safety dogs under Section 31aa(4). The FY2026 program was authorized by Public Act 15 of 2025, the State School Aid Act. It supports eligible Michigan schools and districts in hiring or contracting SROs and contracting dogs trained to detect firearms, explosives, narcotics, or vape substances.
The program emphasizes demonstrated safety needs, law enforcement partnerships, and the ability to sustain positions beyond the grant. Its scoring rubric gives the greatest weight to sustainability and the statement of need. Safety dogs must be contracted rather than purchased; therapy dogs are not supported.
