Georgia K-12 Education Grants & Funding Resources

What Grants Are Available in Georgia?

1. GSBA-RMS Safety/Risk Management Grant
   
   • What it is: A competitive mini-grant program from the Georgia School Boards Association Risk Management Services. It provides up to $5,000 in reimbursement funding per district to cover projects, equipment, or training that reduce property and liability risks, improve employee safety, or strengthen risk management awareness. Only districts that are GSBA-RMS members (with active coverage in areas like Workers’ Comp, Property, Liability, or Auto) are eligible. Awards are announced in October, and all purchases must be completed by the following March.
   • Why it matters: This grant allows Georgia districts to address targeted safety and risk management needs without pulling from core instructional budgets. While modest in size, it is one of the few recurring opportunities in Georgia that ties directly to loss prevention and liability reduction, areas where compliance tools like Touchpoint SmartClocks can be framed as valuable. By positioning SmartClocks as access control devices (ensuring only authorized staff are on-site) or as employee accountability systems (documenting accurate work hours for compliance and Workers’ Comp risk reduction), districts can leverage this funding to cover initial implementation costs.
     
     
2. ESPLOST (Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax)
   
   • What it is: a 1% local sales tax that Georgia counties can approve by referendum to fund school capital outlay and debt service. It is renewable every five years and has become the primary recurring local revenue stream for building improvements, technology infrastructure, buses, and school safety/security upgrades. All but one Georgia district has passed at least one ESPLOST since its inception in 1996.
   • Why it matters: ESPLOST provides reliable, voter-approved funding that districts can use for technology and security investments that qualify as capital assets. For Touchpoint SmartClocks, ESPLOST is highly feasible because:
     
     • Hardware and installation clearly fall under allowable capital expenditures.
     • Districts regularly allocate ESPLOST funds for school safety and technology infrastructure, the same categories where SmartClocks fit.
     • It is recurring and predictable (every 5 years), giving districts a sustainable path to adopt and expand systems across campuses
   • In short, ESPLOST matters because it’s the most stable and scalable way Georgia districts can fund long-term hardware like SmartClocks, embedding them into modernization and safety plans with strong local support.