Funding program

Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence)

Rolling

Project SERV funds short-term services that help a school recover from and respond to a violent or traumatic event, including security and safety measures during recovery. A district restoring its safety posture after an incident can pursue SERV funds for the security technology that recovery requires. SERV is event-driven, applied for after a qualifying event rather than on a fixed annual cycle.

Program details

What the program funds, and who can apply

Short-term education-related services to help schools/campuses recover from and respond to a violent or traumatic event and restore the learning environment (e.g., mental health/counseling support, security and safety measures during recovery, substitute staffing, overtime, communication). Qualifying events: school shootings, suicide clusters, terrorism, natural disasters, school bus accidents, student homicides, hate crimes (non-exhaustive).

Administering agency

U.S. Department of Education - Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Safe and Supportive Schools

Who can apply

Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) that have experienced a violent or traumatic event of such magnitude that it severely disrupted the learning environment, and that cannot adequately meet the resulting needs with existing resources.

Status

Open / active on an as-needed, event-driven basis (no fixed annual deadline). Applications are submitted after a qualifying traumatic event; the page lists application status as 'Not Applicable' (i.e., rolling/incident-triggered).

Deadline

No fixed deadline - event-driven. LEAs/IHEs apply following a qualifying traumatic event by contacting the Department of Education (program contacts: hamed.negron-perez@ed.gov for violent/traumatic events; Maria.Rowan@ed.gov for natural disasters).

Funding amount

Two tiers, both at Secretary's discretion (subject to appropriations) sized to the incident: Immediate Services (emergency short-term assistance) and Extended Services (longer recovery). No fixed published cap on the official ed.gov page; funding amounts and project periods are established case-by-case to reflect the scope of the incident and recovery needs.

Assistance listing (CFDA)

84.184S

FAQ

Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence), answered

Can Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence) pay for school safety mapping?

Project SERV funds short-term services that help a school recover from and respond to a violent or traumatic event, including security and safety measures during recovery. A district restoring its safety posture after an incident can pursue SERV funds for the security technology that recovery requires. SERV is event-driven, applied for after a qualifying event rather than on a fixed annual cycle.

Who is eligible for Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence)?

Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) that have experienced a violent or traumatic event of such magnitude that it severely disrupted the learning environment, and that cannot adequately meet the resulting needs with existing resources.

What is the deadline for Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence)?

No fixed deadline - event-driven. LEAs/IHEs apply following a qualifying traumatic event by contacting the Department of Education (program contacts: hamed.negron-perez@ed.gov for violent/traumatic events; Maria.Rowan@ed.gov for natural disasters). Confirm the current timeline at the official program source, as cycles change.

Source

Straight from the official program

Every figure on this page comes from the official program source below, last verified 2026-06-23. Programs, amounts, and deadlines change, so confirm the current rule at the source before you apply. This page is informational and not legal or grant-writing advice. How we verify.

U.S. Department of Education - Project SERV (official program page) verified 2026-06-23

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