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Modifies how total weighted student units are calculated for payments under section 7707(a) by requiring inclusion of additional weighted student units in specified calculations.
Requires that, for purposes of computing weighted student units, the Secretary include children counted under 7703(a)(1)(C) from the preceding school year when those children constituted at least 20 percent of the agency's total student enrollment.
Provides a four‑year federal grant program that sends $250 million per year to help school districts that serve federally impacted students repair, modernize, or build school facilities. Funds are split 75% for competitive grants and 25% for formula grants, with priority for emergency health/safety repairs, major facility deficiencies, and teacher housing needs. Sets how the Department of Education will rank needs and award grants, adjusts the existing Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) formula for certain students, requires applications and reporting, and establishes rules for non‑Federal cost shares and payments (including full payments for districts that cannot issue bonds).
Many federally impacted local educational agencies serve schools with facilities that fall far short of meeting basic life-safety standards for students and staff.
The American Society of Civil Engineers rated school facilities nationally a D+, and many school buildings serving federally impacted local educational agencies were built more than 65 years ago.
A 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found better school facilities were associated with better student outcomes (achievement, attendance, graduation). A 2020 GAO study concluded many facilities serving federally impacted local educational agencies need repair, modernization, renovation, or replacement.
Survey data from the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools and the National Indian Impacted Schools Association: 65 percent of respondents said facilities are in fair to poor condition.
Survey data: 26 percent of respondents have buildings more than 80 years old.
Primary affected parties are local educational agencies (LEAs) that serve federally impacted students (districts near military installations, federal properties, or with students counted under ESEA impact aid categories). Those LEAs gain a new federal funding stream to address urgent and long‑standing facility problems — especially life/safety hazards, poor indoor air and water quality, inadequate HVAC and technology infrastructure, overcrowding, and teacher housing shortages. Students and school staff in impacted districts should see improved health and learning environments where projects are funded. Rural and remote LEAs, which often face higher repair costs and limited local revenue or bond capacity, may benefit especially because the law allows full federal payment for LEAs that cannot issue bonds; however, many LEAs will still need to provide a non‑federal share, which can be a fiscal burden for low‑capacity districts.
The Department of Education and its staff will face new administrative responsibilities: ranking facility needs, running a large competitive grant process, applying ESEA formula adjustments, monitoring grants, and producing annual reports. State and local education agencies will need capacity for grant application, compliance, project planning, and matching funds. The program may accelerate renovation and construction work in communities with pressing facility needs and could help teacher recruitment in high‑need or remote areas through allowable teacher housing projects. Redistribution rules and strict prioritization ensure emergency health/safety needs are addressed first, but projects not immediately funded may be carried into later funding cycles.
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced April 3, 2025 by John Garamendi · Last progress April 3, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House