The biennial budget adopted by the Ohio General Assembly this summer became effective on Sept. 30. Among the other provisions in the law (covered in the Legal Ledger here, here, here, and here) was the appropriation of $10 million toward school bus safety grants. The School Bus Safety Grant program was created to award competitive grants to eligible applicants to repair, replace, or add bus safety features to school buses in active service. Recipients can also use grants to add or pay for safety enhancements on buses they are purchasing. Eligible applicants include city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school districts, and educational service centers (ESC).
The application period for the program opened last week and closes on Nov. 14, 2025, at 5 p.m. Expenditures must be incurred by June 30, 2027, and liquidated by Sept. 30, 2027. Applications, along with supporting documents, can be submitted through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce’s (ODEW’s) e-grant system – ED STEPS.
The grants were recommended in the final recommendations for the Ohio School Bus Safety Working Group. The working group was convened by Gov. Mike DeWine and charged with inspecting all facets of the student transportation process and providing data-driven recommendations on areas where improvements could be made. The working group recommended state funding to districts to offset the costs associated with upgrading school bus fleets with safety equipment that meets the needs of each district. The intent of the program is to allow districts to tailor purchases to their safety needs and to allocate funds in a manner that considers district finances.
Among the authorized safety features are:
- External cameras.
- Crossing arms.
- Lane departure warning systems.
- Colorado rack test-approved bus frames.
- Fully illuminated stop arms and school bus signs.
- Occupant restraining devices the conform to the school bus seat belt requirements of 49 C.F.R. 571.
Funds cannot be used for personnel salary or benefits, indirect costs, vehicle maintenance and repair, enhancement to vehicles other than school buses owned by grantees, or non-approved safety features.
More information about the grant processes, applications, participation, evaluation and reporting are available in this ODEW guidance document. The grant application and worksheet also are available on ODEW’s Ohio School Bus Safety Grant Program webpage.
Districts and ESCs can get more information about the school bus grant program from ODEW’s Pupil Transportation Office at (877) 644-6338 or (614) 466-4230 or via email at schoolbus@education.ohio.gov. OSBA’s division of legal services also is available to provide more resources and information about school bus safety grants at (855) OSBA-LAW [(855) 672-2529].