I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6074 
To provide grants to local educational agencies to help public schools reduce 
class size in the early elementary grades, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 23, 2021 
Mrs. MCBATH (for herself and Ms. BROWN of Ohio) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To provide grants to local educational agencies to help public 
schools reduce class size in the early elementary grades, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Smaller Class Sizes 
for Students and Educators Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary 
school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘poverty line’’, 
‘‘professional development’’, and ‘‘State’’ have the 
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meanings given the terms in section 8101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) EARLY ELEMENTARY GRADES.—The term 
‘‘early elementary grades’’ means kindergarten 
through grade 3. 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(4) TARGETED SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘targeted 
school’’ means a public elementary school served by 
a local educational agency that is in the highest 
quartile of all public elementary schools served by 
the local educational agency based on the number of 
students enrolled in the school who are eligible for 
a free or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. 
Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 
et seq.). 
SEC. 
3. 
REDUCING 
CLASS 
SIZE 
IN 
KINDERGARTEN 
THROUGH GRADE 3 CLASSROOMS. 
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made avail-
able under subsection (g), the Secretary shall award 
grants, on a competitive basis, to local educational 
agencies to enable the local educational agencies to 
reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades. 
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(2) DURATION OF GRANT.—A grant awarded 
under this section shall be for a period of 5 years. 
(b) APPLICATION.—A local educational agency that 
desires a grant under this section shall submit an applica-
tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may require, 
including the local educational agency’s evidence-based 
plan to reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades 
that includes the following: 
(1) A description of— 
(A) how the local educational agency will 
reduce the class sizes in the early elementary 
grades in the targeted schools served by the 
local educational agency to not more than 18 
students per class, including— 
(i) the early elementary grade levels 
that will be supported under the grant; 
(ii) how the agency will take into con-
sideration the needs of subgroups of stu-
dents (as defined in section 1111(c)(2) of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(c)(2))), 
grade level, subject area, physical facilities, 
and workload maximums for educators 
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ment planning, or curriculum and instruction-spe-
cific professional development. 
(5) A description of how the local educational 
agency will ensure that any new teachers hired using 
grant funds meet all applicable State certification 
and licensure requirements. 
(6) In the case of a local educational agency 
that is using funds available under part A of title II 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6611 et seq.) for class size reduc-
tion, information regarding the extent to which the 
funds are being used to reduce class size in the early 
elementary grades in targeted schools. 
(7) The average class size, by grade, in the 
early elementary grades of the public schools served 
by the local educational agency at the time the appli-
cation is submitted and during the prior 2 academic 
years, and the goals for the class size, by grade, in 
the early elementary grades of the public schools 
served by the local educational agency. 
(c) AWARD BASIS.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to local edu-
cational agencies serving the greatest number or percent-
age of students who are from families with incomes at or 
below the poverty line. 
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(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(1) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—A local edu-
cational agency receiving a grant under this section 
may use not more than 3 percent of the grant funds 
for the administrative expenses of the grant. 
(2) REDUCING CLASS SIZE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A local educational 
agency shall use not less than 97 percent of the 
grant funds to reduce class sizes in the early el-
ementary grades at targeted schools served by 
the local educational agency by— 
(i) recruiting, hiring, and supporting 
fully certified and qualified teachers, both 
general education teachers and teachers of 
children with disabilities, for the early ele-
mentary grades at the targeted schools; 
(ii) obtaining additional space, or ren-
ovating school buildings, to provide more 
classroom space, except that not more than 
15 percent of the funds provided under the 
grant may be used for this purpose; 
(iii) providing professional develop-
ment for teachers of the early elementary 
grades at the targeted schools, except that 
not more than 15 percent of the funds pro-
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vided under the grant may be used for this 
purpose; and 
(iv) developing feedback mechanisms 
to improve school working conditions, in-
cluding through periodically and publicly 
reporting results of educator support and 
working conditions feedback. 
(B) HIGHEST NEED.—In carrying out ac-
tivities under the grant, the local educational 
agency shall first prioritize targeted schools 
that serve the highest percentage of students 
from families with incomes at or below the pov-
erty line, and then prioritize such schools with 
the highest average class sizes in the early ele-
mentary grades. 
(e) REPORTING.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
(A) LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCIES.— 
Each local educational agency receiving a grant 
under this section shall prepare and submit to 
the State in which the agency is located an an-
nual report on activities carried out under the 
grant, including progress in reaching the goals 
in reducing class size described in the applica-
tion under subsection (b)(7). 
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(B) STATES.—A State that receives a re-
port under subparagraph (A) shall submit such 
report to the Secretary. 
(2) 
EVALUATION.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Director of the Institute of Education 
Sciences, shall conduct an evaluation of the activities 
carried out under grants awarded under this section, 
including an evaluation of— 
(A) the progress of the local educational 
agency in reducing class size in the early ele-
mentary grades at the targeted schools served 
by the local educational agency; 
(B) student academic achievement in the 
early elementary grades of the targeted schools 
receiving support through the local educational 
agency under the grant where pre- and post-as-
sessment data is available; 
(C) a climate study of— 
(i) teachers in such targeted schools 
that addresses working conditions, job sat-
isfaction, and teacher stress; and 
(ii) students, and parents of students, 
enrolled in such targeted schools; 
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(D) teacher qualifications for newly hired 
teachers in such targeted schools for class size 
reduction; 
(E) targeted professional development and 
training provided to newly hired teachers in tar-
geted schools for class size reduction; 
(F) the time added to be used for teachers 
to collaborate in targeted schools; 
(G) teacher chronic absenteeism and reten-
tion and turnover rates pre- and post-class size 
reduction efforts; and 
(H) rates of student discipline and chronic 
student absenteeism. 
(3) ANNUAL REPORTS BY THE SECRETARY.— 
By not later than 90 days after the date by which 
the reports under paragraph (1) are first due, and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and 
submit a report to the Committee on Health, Edu-
cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 
Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
Representatives regarding the grants awarded under 
this section. 
(f) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—A local edu-
cational agency receiving funds under this section shall 
use such funds to supplement, and not supplant, any other 
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funds available to the local educational agency for the pur-
poses of reducing class size in the early elementary grades. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$2,000,000,000 for the first fiscal year and such sums as 
are necessary for each succeeding fiscal year. 
Æ 
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