Federal grants would help schools reduce early-grade class sizes

The Education Secretary would award five-year grants to local education agencies to reduce class sizes. The grants would help agencies reduce classes in kindergarten through grade 3. Congress would need to provide money for the grants. The Secretary would give priority to agencies serving the greatest number or share of students from families at or below the poverty line. Each grant would last five years.

Applicants would submit an evidence-based plan to reduce classes to no more than 18 students per class in targeted schools. A targeted school is a public elementary school in an agency’s highest quartile based on the number of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Plans must explain how agencies would account for student needs, grade, subject, school space, and educator workload when setting class-size limits. Plans must also cover hiring and retaining teachers, teacher training and preparation time, and required state certification for new teachers.

Grant recipients would use at least 97 percent of grant money for class-size reduction activities at targeted schools. Allowed activities include hiring and supporting qualified teachers, adding or renovating classroom space, teacher training, and public feedback on educator support and working conditions. Recipients could use no more than 3 percent for administration. No more than 15 percent could go to classroom space, and no more than 15 percent could go to teacher training. Agencies would prioritize targeted schools with the highest share of students from low-income families, then schools with the largest average early-grade classes. Recipients would follow these spending priorities while carrying out grant activities.