Sponsors (12)
The bill invests federal funds to raise paraprofessional pay, expand credentials, and target high-need schools to improve instruction and retention, but it risks creating long-term local cost obligations, administrative burdens, and uneven access for some schools or states.
Paraprofessionals in participating schools receive wage increases or bonus pay, raising earnings and improving retention.
Students in high-poverty and rural communities (and the paraprofessionals who serve them) gain priority access to grant funding, directing more resources to high-need schools.
Paraprofessionals can obtain credentials (e.g., special education, EL, advanced paraeducator, teaching), expanding skills, career pathways, and potential classroom impact.
Local school districts and taxpayers may face ongoing fiscal pressure because wage increases funded by federal grants can create expectations that districts must sustain after grants expire.
Some needy schools may be excluded from priority funding because eligibility is tied to specific thresholds (e.g., free/reduced-price lunch, TANF, Medicaid) that not all high-need schools meet.
Allocation based pro rata on Title I shares may favor states with larger Title I allocations and limit support for states or districts with acute paraprofessional shortages not aligned with Title I shares.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive federal grant program that gives SEAs funds to subgrant to local education entities to recruit, train, credential, and retain paraprofessionals, including pay incentives.
Introduced July 17, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress July 17, 2025
Creates a federal competitive grant program that gives state education agencies funds to subgrant to school districts and other local education entities to recruit and retain paraprofessionals who work in public elementary, secondary, and preschool programs. Grants may be used for evidence-based induction and mentoring, high-quality professional development, credential training, and pay incentives; states get funds based on their share of prior-year Title I allocations and must prioritize applications serving high shares of low-income students, rural schools, or schools receiving certain federal assistance.