School Nurse Workforce Grant

Overview

The School Nurse Workforce Retention Grant exists to build and maintain the capacity to support public health priorities derived from COVID-19 and to retain school nurses as a critical part of the public health infrastructure. Retention bonus awards may be requested by eligible applicants for up to $2,500 per Registered Nurse currently employeed by the school. Maximum request up to $2,500 per nurse is inclusive of any benefit costs.

Approximately $600,000 is available for the 2024-2025 school year.  Grants will be awarded for a four-month term beginning January 1, 2025, and ending April 15, 2025.  Final award amounts are not guaranteed and will be determined based on available funds and application requests. 

Allowable services or activities include: Retention bonuses for Registered Nurses currently employed as a K-12 school nurse, limited to salaries and benefits.  

• Recipients of funds shall hold registered nurse (RN) licensure. 
• Funds may not be used to supplant funding from other federal sources or matching on other federal awards. 
• It is the district’s responsibility to ensure nurses employed by one or more districts may only receive retention bonuses from one district. 
• Funding may not be used for food. 
• This is a federal grant that requires a request for reimbursement. 
• Indirect costs are not allowable. 

Eligible Applicants

Local Education Providers (LEPs) are eligible to apply for this opportunity. An eligible LEP is: 

• A School District; 
• A Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES); 
• A Charter School authorized by a School District; or  
• A Charter School authorized by the Charter School Institute. 
• Indian tribe or tribal organization (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (25 U.S.C. 450b));  
• The Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind or 
• A consortium of two or more such local education providers. 

Applicants that have previously received funds from the School Nurse Workforce Grant may apply for this current funding opportunity. 
Note: Applications will not be accepted from individual non-charter schools and must be authorized and submitted through the LEP. Only one application per LEP will be accepted (not including charter school applicants).