A practical guide to grants for school districts, federal Title programs, ED competitive grants, state funding, and foundation support.

2025–2026 STATUS UPDATE: The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the federal education-research arm at the U.S. Department of Education, was largely dismantled in 2025. Staff dropped from ~175 to fewer than 20; ~$900M in research contracts were terminated. Lawsuits are pending. References to IES-operated resources (including the What Works Clearinghouse) and IES grant programs may be unavailable or significantly diminished. Verify at ies.ed.gov.

School districts receive most of their federal funding through formula programs (Title I, IDEA, Perkins), but discretionary competitive grants and foundation funding can add significant resources, especially for new initiatives, professional development, and innovation.

TL;DR: Quick Answers

Who funds school districts? ED, other federal agencies (USDA school meals, HRSA school-based health), state education funding, foundations.
Who can apply? School districts (LEAs), state education agencies, schools, with frequent partnership requirements.
What gets funded? Title programs (formula), STEM, literacy, mental health, special education, workforce/CTE, technology, professional development.
What’s the biggest opportunity? Title formula plus ED discretionary competitions plus state and foundation supplements.

Federal Funding

Department of Education. Formula programs:

Title I-A (low-income students).
Title II (teacher development).
Title III (English learners).
Title IV (student support, including mental health, STEM, well-rounded education).
IDEA (special education), see grants for special education.
Perkins V (CTE).
McKinney-Vento (homeless students).

ED discretionary programs:

Education Innovation and Research (EIR).
Magnet Schools Assistance.
GEAR UP, TRIO.
Charter Schools Program.
Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration / School-Based Mental Health.
Many topic-specific competitions.

USDA for school meals (NSLP, SBP, Summer EBT, fresh fruit and vegetable).

HRSA for school-based health.

SAMHSA Project AWARE for school mental health.

State Funding

State education funding is generally larger than federal in most districts but flows through state aid formulas rather than competitive grants. Some states run competitive grants for specific priorities.

Foundation Funders

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Walton Family Foundation.
Carnegie Corporation of New York.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Wallace Foundation.
Heising-Simons Foundation.
Regional and community foundations.

Corporate Funders

Technology, science, and STEM companies fund classroom and district initiatives, often locally. See corporate giving programs.

What Gets Funded

STEM and computer science, see grants for STEM education.
Literacy.
Mental health and social-emotional learning.
Special education and inclusion.
Career and technical education.
Technology.
Professional development.
Family engagement.
School facilities and capital (sometimes via state and bonds).

Tips for a Competitive Application

Address evidence-based practices (cite What Works Clearinghouse).
Coordinate with state education agency for discretionary competitions.
Show district capacity and prior performance.
Plan for sustainability beyond the grant cycle.
Address equity for underserved students authentically.

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Grants for School Districts: Federal, State, and Foundation Funding