DISD New Hire Grants

Individuals new to Denton ISD or returning after at least one year away who were hired for the 2026-2027 school year between May 2026 and August 10, 2026 can apply for the DPSF New Hire Grant.  

Grants are awarded for innovative instructional programs that advance new approaches to teaching or enhance educational opportunities for Denton ISD students. The awards range from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $1000. Funds may be used for equipment, materials, honorariums, etc., but not to pay salaries to Denton ISD employees.  If applying jointly, the New Hire applicant should be designated as the Lead Applicant, and the roles of the team member(s) will be described in the application. Each teacher/applicant may submit only one request as the lead applicant but may be included as a co-applicant on another request. 

For those requesting funding for any technology, the request MUST be approved by the Technology Department as part of Step One. We can only approve grant requests for items listed on the TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE STANDARDS page and software found on the Denton ISD approved list. The Hardware Standards list can be found on The Grid, which will be accessible once new employees receive their Denton ISD login credentials. The Approved Software list can be found by going to the District home page – Staff - Technology – Software Approval Process – Approved Software List (third line from the bottom of the page)

Technology is anything that connects to a computer through a wire, a remote, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, an app, or a website. DPSF grant funds cannot be used to purchase computers (laptop, desktop, Chromebook, iPad, tablet) of any kind or paper printer/copiers, and all technology purchases must be pre-approved by the technology department. Please get in touch with your campus tech if you have questions. 

In an effort to protect our staff and students and to ensure that they have the best learning experience, all Technology Hardware must conform to Denton ISD Technology Standards. Technology Hardware will be managed and updated in accordance with Denton ISD Technology Standards. This includes, but is not limited to, security patches to protect from known vulnerabilities and retiring hardware that no longer meets standards. The product life cycle that is set by developers and manufacturers drives our District Standards. At the end of a product life cycle, for the security of our staff and students, we discontinue using these devices and programs, regardless of funding source.

We are required to use DentonISD approved vendors.  To access a list of these vendors, log in to your DISD Google (@g.dentonisd.org) account: Approved Vendor Lists The vendor number must be entered in the form for each item on your budget. If you would like to work on your budget before starting your application (recommended), please use the Grant Budget Template (select 2026-2027 NEW HIRE BUDGET) to list the items needed for the grant. This file will need to be uploaded to the application.

All reviews will be anonymous and confidential. A blind review process will apply during evaluation and selection. To ensure the screening process is fair, do not use any teacher or school names or identifying information (e.g. a school mascot, terms such as "RHS Raiders" or club names like the "DHS Fillies") on the application. Failure to follow these guidelines may cause the application not to be considered for funding.

NOTE:  The answer spaces are intentionally limited.  Please use concise answers but answer the question — the quality of an answer is more important than its length.

• Know your audience – Remember that many reviewers are not educators, so acronyms, abbreviations, and “education language” will need to be defined and explained.
• Spell-check your document – it is a valid expectation that educators will use correct spelling and grammar in their requests for funding!
• Give detailed and clear explanations for the items you are requesting – don’t assume the reader will always know what these educational tools are.
• Contact the vendor you wish to use and request a quote. Often, they offer special pricing or free shipping. Let them know that the order will not be placed until Fall 2026.
• Speaking of shipping, include it in your budget if it is applicable.
• If you request funding for TECHNOLOGY, please follow the steps listed above in the TECHNOLOGY section. 
• Be sure you answer each question clearly and give tangible, achievable goals.
• Review – and then review again! Ask 2 or 3 others to read your application for clarity, content, and yes - grammar before you hit submit.
• If you have any questions, please email - dpsf@dentonisd.org

Thanks for what you do for our students every day – and best of luck!