 October 2026
Latest News
ED and DOJ Release Guidance on Swatting Threats
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued joint guidance to educational institutions on how to prepare for and respond to swatting incidents. Swatting threats are often met with shelter-in-place or lockdown orders, which can be disruptive to school operations, traumatic to students and staff, and financially costly. The new guidance urges schools and districts to implement policies, prepare personnel, and partner with law enforcement to identify and mitigate these threats. Review the recommended best practices, policies, and supporting federal resources, and access the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) toolkit for additional information on responding to anonymous threats.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month serves as an annual reminder to take core steps that protect against cyber threats and build resilience. Help your school or district strengthen its cyber defenses with CISA’s K-12 Cybersecurity Foundations Resource Package, a collection of guides, videos, and supplemental materials outlining cybersecurity best practices for K-12 systems. CISA also offers no-cost services and tools that K-12 communities can use to reduce cyber risk. Additional cybersecurity resources can be found on SchoolSafety.gov.
School Safety Funding Opportunities Available
DOJ has several school safety funding opportunities currently available. These include:
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STOP School Violence Program, which provides funding to prevent and reduce school violence by implementing training, developing school threat assessment teams, introducing technologies like anonymous reporting tools, or applying other school safety strategies;
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Community and Schools Youth Drug Prevention Program, which provides funding to deliver substance use prevention programs for youth in schools and extracurricular settings;
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Mentoring for Youth Impacted by Opioids and Other Substance Use, which supports the implementation and delivery of high-quality mentoring services for youth who are currently using, dependent on, or at risk of using substances;
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Opioid Affected Youth Initiative, which provides funding to address violent crime and reduce overdose deaths through prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies;
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Research and Evaluation on School Safety, which supports research and evaluation projects that fill key gaps in K-12 safety, specifically focusing on anonymous reporting systems and school threat assessment and intervention teams; and
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Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence, which supports the implementation of violent crime reduction strategies focused on violent juvenile offenders and improving communities' ability to help children exposed to violence.
Learn more about these grants on SchoolSafety.gov’s Grants Finder Tool, and access DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) resource guide for assistance in applying for OJP-specific grants.
Bullying Prevention Resources and Tips
National Bullying Prevention Month, observed each October, encourages action to create safer and more supportive learning environments for children by preventing bullying. K-12 schools can use this month to host classroom activities, promote online safety best practices that prevent cyberbullying, and share bullying prevention information with parents and caregivers. Learn more about bullying and cyberbullying prevention strategies at SchoolSafety.gov and find additional resources at StopBullying.gov.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
October Deadlines
November Deadlines
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment (November 18, January 20, March 17) – These virtual training events will highlight key findings from research on school violence prevention and provide guidance on how schools can develop or improve existing violence prevention programs using a behavioral threat assessment model.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety webinars, conferences, and trainings.
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School Safety Resources
How to Be a Trusted Adult to Kids and Teens
This fact sheet provides information on how to become a trusted adult that students can turn to when they face online risks like sextortion, bullying, and abuse.
Phishing Guidance: Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One
This guide outlines phishing techniques that malicious actors commonly use and provides guidance for reducing the impact of phishing attacks.
Tabletop Exercise Packages
These resources can be used to conduct a discussion-based emergency planning exercise and include pre-built templates for a range of threat scenarios, including K-12 active shooter and cybersecurity incidents.
Tips for Teachers on Cyberbullying
This webpage provides information for teachers and school staff to identify warning signs a child is being cyberbullied or is cyberbullying, as well as strategies to prevent and address it.
Visit SchoolSafety.gov for additional K-12 school safety and security resources.
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If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future School Safety Community Bulletins, please contact us at SchoolSafety@cisa.dhs.gov.
SchoolSafety.gov Disclaimer
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Education (ED), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do not endorse any individual, enterprise, product, or service. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described in this communication. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information outside of those respective Departments, and the opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS.
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