I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5769 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 
grants to local educational agencies to establish ‘‘Family Friendly 
School’’ policies at 500 elementary schools that align the school day 
with the work day to better support working families and to disseminate 
the learnings from these model schools so that other local educational 
agencies may adopt these practices, and to establish a supplemental 
21st century community learning centers grant program to support pro-
grams and activities during summer recess when school is not in session. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 
Mr. MORELLE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to provide grants to local educational agencies 
to establish ‘‘Family Friendly School’’ policies at 500 
elementary schools that align the school day with the 
work day to better support working families and to dis-
seminate the learnings from these model schools so that 
other local educational agencies may adopt these prac-
tices, and to establish a supplemental 21st century com-
munity learning centers grant program to support pro-
grams and activities during summer recess when school 
is not in session. 
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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 ‘‘Family Friendly 
Schools Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Schools are shut down for an average of 29 
days throughout the school year, which is 2 weeks 
longer than the typical American with paid leave has 
in paid holidays and vacation. 
(2) Moreover, 39 percent of all workers, and 80 
percent of low-wage workers, lack access to any paid 
vacation time. 
(3) Most schools close at or around 3 p.m., 2 
hours short of the standard full-time work day. 
(4) Fewer than 1⁄2 of elementary schools and 
fewer than 1⁄3 of low-income schools offer before and 
afterschool care. 
(5) In communities across the Nation, 1 in 5 
school-aged children were unsupervised after school. 
(6) 
In 
2014, 
parents 
of 
approximately 
19,400,000 children who were not in an afterschool 
program said that their children would participate if 
a program were available. 
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(7) If families pay out of pocket for child care 
to cover the excess school closure days and the hours 
between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., it would cost an average 
of $6,600 per year, or 9 percent of an average fam-
ily’s income. 
(8) Moreover, 73 percent of families report 
some difficulty in finding summer care. 
(9) Many working parents are forced to make 
job-related changes during the summer. In 57 per-
cent of families, at least one parent makes a change 
to their job that is likely to result in a smaller pay-
check, and in nearly 1⁄3 of families, both parents 
make a job sacrifice. 
(10) The misalignment of school and work 
schedules creates a significant strain on working 
parents and guardians, particularly mothers and 
Black, Latino, low-income, and single working par-
ents, and those with irregular schedules. 
(11) Misaligned school schedules cost the 
United States economy $55,000,000,000 in lost pro-
ductivity annually. 
(12) 1,000,000 women with elementary school- 
aged children work less than full time because of 
their caregiving responsibilities. 
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(13) More than 8 in 10 parents of children in 
afterschool programs agree that afterschool pro-
grams help working parents keep their jobs. 
(14) More than half of families report a desire 
for their child to participate in a summer learning 
program. 
(15) Aligning school and work schedules is both 
an economic growth and child development strategy. 
SEC. 
3. 
GRANT 
PROGRAM 
FOR 
FAMILY 
FRIENDLY 
SCHOOLS. 
Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘PART G—FAMILY FRIENDLY SCHOOLS 
‘‘SEC. 4701. GRANT PROGRAM FOR FAMILY FRIENDLY 
SCHOOLS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities to enable the establishment 
of ‘Family Friendly School’ policies at a total of 500 
elementary schools that align the school day with the 
work day to better support working families. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—Each grant awarded under 
this section shall be for a 5-year period. 
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‘‘(3) AMOUNT.—Each grant awarded under this 
section shall be in an amount that is not more than 
$5,000,000 for the grant period for each elementary 
school at which Family Friendly School policies are 
established by the eligible entity. In determining the 
grant amount, the Secretary shall consider the num-
ber of students served. 
‘‘(4) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—As a condi-
tion of receiving a grant under this section, an eligi-
ble entity shall provide, from non-Federal sources, 
matching funds in an amount equal to not less than 
10 percent of the cost of establishing Family Friend-
ly School policies under this section. A parent copay-
ment or fee collected by the eligible entity shall not 
qualify as matching funds. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In this section, the term 
‘eligible entity’ means— 
‘‘(1) a local educational agency— 
‘‘(A) that serves schools receiving assist-
ance under part A of title I; and 
‘‘(B) that— 
‘‘(i) has not reduced the instructional 
time or number of instructional days for 
elementary schools at any point during the 
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4-year period preceding the date of the ap-
plication for a grant under this section; or 
‘‘(ii) has reduced the instructional 
time or number of instructional days for 
elementary schools at any point during the 
4-year period preceding the date of the ap-
plication for a grant under this section but 
pledges— 
‘‘(I) to reverse the reduction 
without the use of Federal funds; and 
‘‘(II) to return any Federal funds 
received under this section if the local 
educational agency does not reverse 
the reduction without the use of Fed-
eral funds not later than 1 year after 
the date of receipt of the Federal 
funds; or 
‘‘(2) a local educational agency described in 
paragraph (1) in partnership with a nonprofit or 
community-based organization with a demonstrated 
record of providing high-quality enrichment activities 
for children. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires to 
receive a grant under this section shall submit an applica-
tion at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
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such information as the Secretary may require, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(1) the number of elementary schools at which 
the eligible entity desires to establish Family Friend-
ly School policies; 
‘‘(2) how such elementary schools will align 
with other schools and local educational agencies in 
the same geographic area in ways that support 
working families with children in different schools; 
and 
‘‘(3) how such elementary schools will make 
necessary adjustments to transportation to serve 
students attending such schools, including students 
with disabilities. 
‘‘(d) AWARD OF GRANTS.—In awarding grants under 
this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible en-
tities that— 
‘‘(1) serve schools that have been identified by 
the local educational agency in the eligible entity to 
have the greatest need for aligning the school day 
with the work day to better support working families 
(such as through a survey of parents in the district 
to identify which schools have the most single par-
ents who work outside the home, families with 2 
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working parents, or parents working irregular sched-
ules); and 
‘‘(2) propose— 
‘‘(A) to restructure and expand the school 
day to better meet the needs of working fami-
lies, students, and teachers rather than adding 
on to the existing, unchanged school schedule; 
and 
‘‘(B) to leverage community resources, 
such as nonprofit or government programs for 
children or interested stakeholders in the com-
munity, to provide academic, athletic, or enrich-
ment activities during the additional school 
hours. 
‘‘(e) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) PLANNING.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall spend the first 
year of the grant planning and consulting with 
teachers, parents, students, and community organi-
zations about how best to design and implement the 
Family Friendly School policies. Such first year 
grant period shall include a needs and assets assess-
ment that identifies the academic, nonacademic, 
physical and mental health, and other needs that 
would be most helpful in supporting working families 
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as they seek to maintain employment while sup-
porting their children’s development. 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
FAMILY
FRIENDLY 
SCHOOL POLICIES.—An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall establish, after the 
first year of the grant period, Family Friendly 
School policies at an elementary school in accord-
ance with the following: 
‘‘(A) If the eligible entity serves both 
schools that receive assistance under part A of 
title I and schools that do not receive assistance 
under such part, the eligible entity shall first 
serve, with funds provided under the grant, 
schools that receive assistance under such part. 
‘‘(B) An elementary school at which Fam-
ily Friendly School policies are established shall 
not increase the amount of time teachers, para-
professionals, and other school staff have to 
work unless they volunteer to work additional 
hours, which additional hours shall be com-
pensated at no less than the rate the teachers, 
paraprofessionals, and other school staff earn 
for regular school hours. 
‘‘(C) An elementary school at which Fam-
ily Friendly School policies are established shall 
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collaborate with community partners to develop 
high-quality, culturally relevant, linguistically 
accessible, developmentally appropriate aca-
demic, athletic, extracurricular, enrichment, or 
community-based learning opportunities, for 
students from at least 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (or dif-
ferent hours if determined appropriate due to 
the needs of the community) Monday through 
Friday during the school year. 
‘‘(D) An elementary school at which Fam-
ily Friendly School policies are established shall 
not close throughout the school year, except on 
Federal holidays, weekends, and during weather 
emergencies and other emergencies that would 
make it a safety liability for children to be at 
school. Specifically, each elementary school at 
which Family Friendly School policies are es-
tablished may not close for parent-teacher con-
ferences, professional development, or for any 
other reason without offering full day enrich-
ment activities free of charge for students. 
‘‘(E) An elementary school at which Fam-
ily Friendly School policies are established shall 
develop and implement evidence-based policies 
and practices for parent and family engagement 
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to support working families and help better 
align school and work schedules, which shall in-
clude at least one of the following activities: 
‘‘(i) Providing one or more of the par-
ent and family engagement activities per-
mitted under this Act. 
‘‘(ii) Providing assistance to families 
to leverage existing programs that support 
working families, such as programs under 
the Child Care and Development Block 
Grant Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 9858 et 
seq.), the program of block grants to 
States for temporary assistance for needy 
families under part A of title IV of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), 
the Medicaid program under title XIX of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.), and the supplemental nutrition as-
sistance program under the Food and Nu-
trition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et 
seq.). 
‘‘(iii) Making school buildings avail-
able for programs that serve parents, stu-
dents, and families when school is not in 
session. 
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‘‘(iv) Hosting parent-teacher con-
ferences and other school events in the 
evening, or at times that are convenient for 
parents who work outside the home, or 
using technology to speak with parents vir-
tually. 
‘‘(v) Engaging in any other activities 
and strategies appropriate and consistent 
with the school’s parent and family en-
gagement policies and practices, which may 
include consulting with parents, students, 
and community organizations to support 
collaborative leadership. 
‘‘(F) An elementary school at which Fam-
ily Friendly School policies are established shall 
annually survey parents, teachers, students, 
school administrators, and community organiza-
tions throughout the 5-year grant period to ask 
about their satisfaction with the programs and 
activities funded through the grant. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION
ACTIVITIES.—An eligible 
entity that receives a grant under this section may 
allocate not more than 2 percent of the grant funds 
to the local mayor or other head of the locality to 
coordinate with the eligible entity, parents, teachers, 
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school administrators, local businesses, the local 
workforce development board, and other community 
organizations to strategize about how elementary 
schools at which Family Friendly School policies are 
established will align their calendar with other 
schools served by the eligible entity and with other 
schools in the same geographic region in ways that 
support working families with children in different 
schools. 
‘‘(f) REPORT AND EVALUATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—At the 3-year mark in the 
grant period and at the conclusion of the 5-year 
grant period, the Secretary shall report to Congress 
on— 
‘‘(A) approaches taken by the elementary 
schools at which Family Friendly School poli-
cies are established to align school and work 
schedules, including district-level changes or 
supports provided to schools to assist these ef-
forts; 
‘‘(B) survey results on parent, teacher, 
student, school administrator, and community 
organization 
satisfaction 
with 
elementary 
schools at which Family Friendly School poli-
cies are established; 
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‘‘(C) where available, information about 
changes in parental employment over the 5-year 
grant period for each elementary school at 
which Family Friendly School policies are es-
tablished, which may include information pro-
vided voluntarily by parents about— 
‘‘(i) changes in parental employment 
rates by gender; and 
‘‘(ii) changes in parental wages by 
gender; 
‘‘(D) aggregate improvements in student 
engagement and performance, such as improve-
ments in grades, standardized test scores, class 
participation, classroom behavior, and attend-
ance rates, including rates of chronic absentee-
ism and tardiness, for each elementary school 
at which Family Friendly School policies are es-
tablished; 
‘‘(E) changes in overall teacher compensa-
tion and retention rates over the grant period 
for each elementary school at which Family 
Friendly School policies are established; 
‘‘(F) best practices and recommendations 
for creating schools that better align school and 
work schedules; 
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‘‘(G) best practices and recommendations 
for communities to align school schedules and 
calendars among all schools within a school dis-
trict and with schools in other school districts, 
and between schools and businesses; 
‘‘(H) best practices and recommendations 
for parent and family engagement policies to 
support working families and help better align 
school and work schedules; and 
‘‘(I) best practices and recommendations 
for strengthening partnerships between schools 
and community resources. 
‘‘(2) DISAGGREGATION.—The information pro-
vided under paragraph (1) shall be disaggregated by 
race, ethnicity, and income, where appropriate. 
‘‘(3) PRIVACY.—The Secretary shall collect and 
disseminate information under this subsection in a 
manner that protects the privacy of individuals. 
‘‘(g) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—An eligible en-
tity that receives a grant under this section shall use the 
grant funds to supplement, and not supplant, other funds 
available to carry out the activities described in this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed to alter, diminish, or otherwise af-
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fect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded to indi-
viduals employed by schools or local educational agen-
cies.’’. 
SEC. 
4. 
SUPPLEMENTAL 
21ST 
CENTURY 
COMMUNITY 
LEARNING CENTERS GRANT PROGRAM. 
Part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.) is amend-
ed by striking section 4206 and inserting the following: 
‘‘SEC. 4206. SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS FOR SUMMER PRO-
GRAMS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated 
under section 4207(b), the Secretary shall carry out a sup-
plemental grant program under this part, through which 
grants shall be allotted to States in accordance with sec-
tion 4202 (except that section 4202(a)(1) shall not apply). 
‘‘(b) TERMS, CONDITIONS, REQUIREMENTS.—The 
terms, conditions, and requirements of this part shall 
apply to supplemental grants awarded under this section 
(including requirements relating to the State use of funds, 
State application and approval process, the local competi-
tive subgrant program, and local activities), except that 
funds awarded to eligible entities for community learning 
centers under this section shall be awarded for community 
learning centers that propose— 
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