Federal grants could help schools hire and keep paraprofessionals

The Education Secretary would send grants to states, which would award competitive subgrants to eligible school agencies. Eligible recipients are local education agencies and education service agencies serving a high-need school or group of high-need schools. The grants would support paraprofessionals in public elementary schools, secondary schools, and qualifying preschool programs. A state must apply and receive approval. Congress must provide funding; the bill authorizes funding for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 but does not itself provide it. States may keep up to 5 percent for administration and statewide support, and must give priority to agencies serving more low-income children, agencies where all schools have specified rural codes, or agencies where all schools meet specified meal-program criteria. The bill authorizes funding for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. A state would report each year it receives a grant.

A state receiving a grant would send the Education Secretary an annual report on paraprofessional pay, staffing, and recruitment and retention efforts. The reporting duty applies to each state education agency that receives a grant under the program. The report must include pay averages for the state and grant recipient schools, information about workers paid below those averages, and steps planned to support agencies facing paraprofessional shortages. The state would submit the report each fiscal year it receives a grant.