Sponsors (12)
The bill creates new, accountable agricultural CTE opportunities for secondary students and helps cover start‑up costs, but limited total funding, grant caps, sustainability restrictions, and added administrative burdens mean only modest, potentially short‑lived expansion without substantial local or state follow‑on support.
Secondary school students gain access to new hands‑on agricultural CTE programs with work‑based learning and clearer alignment to postsecondary pathways and workforce needs.
Local teachers and school programs receive startup grants and program support (up to $100,000 per grant) that lower initial costs for launching agricultural education programs.
Programs are required to report performance and undergo independent evaluation, and encouraged to coordinate with Perkins and local partners, improving accountability and alignment with workforce outcomes.
Schools and students nationwide are limited by a small authorization ($5 million through FY2028), meaning only a small number of programs can be funded and the law’s reach will be very limited.
Schools and districts may struggle to sustain programs after grants expire because grant funds cannot be used for indefinite program funding, risking program shutdowns without local/state/private follow‑on funding.
The per‑grant cap of $100,000 may be insufficient for equipment‑intensive agricultural programs, forcing districts (especially rural ones) to scale back plans or seek additional funding.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive grant program (authorized $5M through FY2028) to start new secondary‑school agricultural education programs with reporting and evaluation requirements.
Creates a federal competitive grant program to help secondary schools start new agricultural education programs. The legislation authorizes $5 million total (available through FY2028), limits individual grants to $100,000 and up to five years, and sets application, reporting, and evaluation requirements tied to existing Perkins career and technical education measures. Grants may pay for curriculum, equipment, work-based learning, and other approved costs; recipients must coordinate with Perkins Act requirements, protect student data under FERPA, submit annual performance reports disaggregated by subgroups, and undergo independent evaluation and third‑party validation.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Education to award grants for new agricultural education programs in secondary schools.
Introduced August 8, 2025 by Glenn Thompson · Last progress August 8, 2025