H.R. 10631 — Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act of 2026

This section defines terms used throughout the Act. It incorporates the meanings of "elementary school," "local educational agency," "poverty line," "professional development," and "State" from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It also defines "early elementary grades" as kindergarten through grade 3, "Secretary" as the Secretary of Education, and "targeted school" as a public elementary school in the highest quartile of schools served by its local educational agency based on students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Education to award 5-year competitive grants to local educational agencies to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through grade 3 to no more than 18 students per class. It requires grantees to use at least 97 percent of funds for hiring certified teachers, with no more than 3 percent for administration and 15 percent each for classroom space or professional development, prioritizes agencies serving the highest percentages of low-income students, and mandates annual reporting plus a national evaluation by the Institute of Education Sciences.