The Ohio Attorney General’s School Safety Grants recently opened. The money will go quickly, so it is advised that schools apply as soon as possible. The purpose of these grants is to provide financial assistance to public and chartered nonpublic schools, educational service centers, local law enforcement agencies, and schools operated by county boards of developmental disabilities. There are two programs schools can pursue:

Attorney General’s FY26 Program Based School Safety Grant

A first-come, first-served grant program that supports school safety and climate programs through training and equipment purchases. Every eligible school organization is eligible for up to $40,000, until the funds are exhausted. 

Attorney General’s FY26 Formula Based School Safety Grant

A first-come, first-served grant program that supports school safety and climate programs through training and equipment purchases. Every eligible school organization is eligible for a formula-based grant of $2,500 or $4.50 per student, whichever amount is greater until the funds are exhausted.

The deadline to apply for both programs is May 26, 2026.

In September 2024, the Ohio Senate introduced Senate Bill 313, also known as Alyssa’s Law. If enacted, it would require public and chartered nonpublic schools to implement a wearable panic alert system.

The wearable panic alert system would be required to “be capable of integrating with local public safety answering point infrastructure to transmit 9-1-1 calls and mobile activations and initiating a campus-wide lockdown notification.”

The law would also mandate that “each district board and governing authority shall provide each staff person in a school facility with a wearable panic alert device that allows for immediate contact with local emergency response agencies,” as well as ensure that all school staff and personnel receive training on “the protocol for and appropriate use of the panic alert device.”

Additionally, each district board and governing authority would be required to ensure “all security data within a school facility is accessible by a local law enforcement agency and coordinate with the local law enforcement agency to establish appropriate access protocols. Accessible security data includes cameras, maps, and access control;” and “any records, information, photographs, audio and visual presentations, schematic diagrams, surveys, recommendations, or consultations or portions thereof relating directly to the physical security or fire safety of a school facility or revealing security or fire safety systems, that are accessed or held by an agency under this section are confidential and are not public records.”

After a concerning safety incident in Fall 2022, Princeton City Schools immediately began looking at more ways to keep students safe. They chose CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert.

The district says the system gives them eyes and ears in every school. “We hope we never have to use it, but we have it here for peace of mind,” said Princeton Superintendent Elgin Card.

Read the full story here.

Local school district staff can soon trigger lockdowns with push of a button

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform is an emergency incident response safety system that features wearable panic buttons, digital mapping software, and reunification and visitor management capabilities and generates accurate, usable data. The Safety Platform solution uses visual strobes, digital messages, and automated intercom announcements to inform everyone of a campus-wide incident and to instruct them on actions they should take. The Safety Platform meets the security infrastructure needs the Ohio school safety grants aim to address.

The Safety Platform features an analytics dashboard that assists administrators as they make safety and security decisions. A data set is generated when a staff member uses their wearable badge to request assistance. Administrators can better understand where and why and under what conditions. These administrative decisions, enabled by Platform data, contribute to the “positive and safe climate” that the safety grants aim to foster. 

The CENTEGIX school safety platform provides robust and uninterrupted communication between staff members, administrators, first responders, and students. Unlike other emergency incident response systems, the Safety Platform’s technology precludes adoption and connectivity challenges. It runs on a dedicated IoT network; it’s not susceptible to Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity interruptions. And because the CrisisAlert mobile panic button is worn along with an ID badge, 100% of staff members use it. This high adoption rate means that every staff member at every location on campus can request help when they need it. CrisisAlert generates accurate location data for every alert, no matter where on campus. Therefore first responders know exactly where to go during an emergency. In many instances, this kind of rapid response can prevent tragedy. 

These critical features of the CrisisAlert badge and Safety Blueprint from CENTEGIX ensure an immediate response: 

CENTEGIX Safety Platform can help school districts and LEAs enact these measures, making students and staff safer. The Safety platform school safety solution helps create a climate of safety by enabling staff members to request help immediately, from anywhere on campus, in any type of emergency. Under these conditions, teachers can focus on student needs, and students can focus on learning. 

CENTEGIX is the leader in incident response solutions. Our Safety Platform is the fastest and easiest way for staff to request help in an emergency, from the everyday to the extreme. CENTEGIX innovates technology to empower and protect people, and leaders nationwide trust our safety solutions to provide peace of mind.