The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) is preparing to launch the second round of its Innovation Funding Initiative on October 7, offering eligible Orange County school districts up to $525,000 for projects designed to enhance student outcomes. This initiative seeks to strengthen learning and engagement across local TK-12 schools, providing significant support over a three-year period.
The program was established as part of County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean’s 5-3-1 Strategic Plan, which aims to help districts develop, test, and expand new approaches to address educational needs. Supporting innovation stands as one of the plan’s key initiatives, reflecting OCDE’s commitment to new strategies, or novel applications of existing ones, to improve efficiency and student results. Dr. Bean stated the initiative is about "creating space for good ideas to grow," emphasizing districts' deep understanding of their students and communities.
Beyond financial assistance, participating districts will receive coaching, technical assistance, and research and evaluation support. OCDE intends for these resources to strengthen project implementation, measure impact, and identify effective methods. The department will also assess whether successful approaches can be sustained, scaled, or replicated in other educational environments.
Interest in the inaugural round was strong, with officials reporting 29 applications submitted by 22 Orange County school districts. Six districts were ultimately selected and announced as awardees in March. These included the Orange and Saddleback Valley unified school districts, the Fountain Valley and Fullerton school districts, and the Anaheim Union and Huntington Beach union high school districts. Their initial projects covered diverse areas, such as collaborative math learning labs, student-built tiny homes for families experiencing homelessness, expanded International Baccalaureate and career pathways, and new models for teacher development.
For the second round, OCDE plans to select six additional Orange County school districts serving TK-12 students. Eligible districts may submit up to two applications, though those that received funding in the first cohort are not eligible this time. Other ineligible entities include charter schools, districts outside Orange County, private schools, colleges, universities, nonprofit organizations, and non-educational agencies. Application materials will become available on October 7, with an optional intent-to-apply form due by October 30. The final application deadline is December 4, and award recipients are anticipated to be announced in early February 2027. Funded projects are slated to run from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2030.
Districts considering an application are encouraged to sign up for updates. Along with funding, selected districts will participate in an Innovation Learning Community and an annual Innovation Summit. These platforms will provide educators with opportunities to share lessons, promising practices, and early findings with colleagues across Orange County, fostering a collaborative approach to educational improvement.
