S. 4869 — Indigenous Students Excel through Parity Act of 2026

This section establishes the purposes of the Act as studying the resources Bureau-funded schools need to recruit and retain high-quality teachers, administrators, and staff through competitive salaries and benefits; the funding and resources the Bureau of Indian Education requires to deliver high-quality education to its students; and potential revenue sources to achieve parity with other school systems.

This section defines terms used throughout the Act, including the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Bureau-funded school, Indian School Equalization Formula, Indian School Equalization Program, Indian Tribe, Secretary of the Interior, and tribally controlled school.

This section requires the Secretary of the Interior, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary and Bureau of Indian Education Director, to complete a study within one year on updating the Indian School Equalization Formula. The study must consider sufficient funding for Bureau-funded and tribally controlled schools, teacher and staff compensation at the highest public school quartile or Department of Defense rates, weights for schools with fewer than 100 students and rural schools, and an additional 12.5 Weighted Student Units for Havasupai Elementary School. It also requires a public report to Congress on the formula's adequacy with recommendations for modification.

This section directs the Secretary, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary and the Director of the Bureau of Indian Education, to study potential revenue sources to bring Bureau-funded schools into parity with other schools, not later than one year after enactment.