Healey-Driscoll Administration Opens Application for Schools to Apply for Funding to Promote Safe and More Supportive Learning Environments

 Healey-Driscoll Administration Opens Application for Schools to Apply for Funding to Promote Safe and More Supportive Learning Environments 

$3 million in grant funding available to update time-out practices in schools 

EVERETT – The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that it is accepting applications for a new $3 million grant designed to help schools implement updated regulations regarding time-out practices that will take effect in August 2026. This competitive grant program, administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), is designed to help schools and districts build more inclusive learning environments, safeguard student rights and ensure consistency with state and federal expectations.  

Time out is a behavioral support strategy used in schools to help students calm. The administration proposed changes to regulations about the use of time-out practices in schools, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved changes in May. The updated regulations aim to create safer and more supportive school environments by reducing the use of time-out rooms and increasing transparency and communication between schools and families.

“This grant is a targeted support in response to the updated regulations,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “We want to equip schools and districts to reduce the use of time-out rooms and help programs develop strategies that work best for their specific learning environments and individual students.”  

“We’re eager to support districts and schools as they update their practices surrounding the use of time out,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “We know that students learn best when they learn alongside their peers, and we want school staff to have a variety of strategies to help students deescalate.”  

This grant seeks to provide districts and schools with resources to train staff in de-escalation strategies, strengthen oversight and reduce schools’ reliance on time-out rooms. Awardees could use the funding to support comprehensive, high-quality professional development on trauma-informed teaching, positive behavior interventions, and alternatives to the use of time-out rooms, as well as to introduce and integrate restorative practices to build positive relationships, resolve conflicts, and create a sense of belonging among students. Further, the grant would enable districts to establish, build the capacity of, and empower behavioral support teams within each school to assess, plan, and implement individualized interventions for students and foster collaboration with parents, guardians and community members. 

This new grant program builds on the work DESE has been doing to reduce or eliminate the use of exclusionary time-out rooms and increase the amount of time that students spend learning with their peers. During the 2020-2021 school year, DESE engaged with a broad range of stakeholders in a process that resulted in guidance being issued in 2021. DESE has also increased its monitoring of time-out practices in schools and previously awarded $1.5 million in grants to help districts reduce or eliminate the inappropriate use of time-out practices. 

Any Massachusetts public school district (including charter schools), collaborative, or approved special education program that uses time out is eligible to apply. A total of approximately $3 million is available, and recipients are each eligible for up to $50,000. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on November 13.