H.R. 7202: Invest in Rural Teachers Act

This bill, titled the **Invest in Rural Teachers Act**, aims to address teacher recruitment and retention challenges in rural schools by establishing a grant program. Here are the key components of what the bill would do:

Rural School Recruitment Incentive Program

The bill directs the Secretary of Education to implement a program that provides funds to States, which in turn will use these funds to give subgrants to eligible entities (such as local educational agencies) for the purpose of offering signing and retention bonuses to teachers in rural schools.

Grants and Subgrants

• The Secretary of Education will award grants to States, which will allow those States to provide subgrants to eligible entities to support signing and retention bonuses for teachers.
• To receive these grants, States must submit an application detailing how they will implement the program.

Signing and Retention Bonuses

• Eligible entities that receive subgrants will use the funds to issue bonuses to teachers who agree to work in rural schools for **three school years**.
• The bonuses will amount to **$5,000 annually** for each year of the commitment.
• There is a focus on recruiting and rewarding teachers who have strong ties to the community, including those who were born, raised, or educated in the area served by the eligible entity.

Partnerships with Higher Education

The bill encourages partnerships between States, eligible entities, and institutions of higher education. These partnerships aim to:

• Inform students in teacher preparation programs about the availability of rural teacher incentive bonuses.
• Encourage students to pursue teaching positions in rural schools.

Definitions

• Eligible entity: This term refers to a local educational agency or an educational service agency that meets specific criteria.
• Rural school: A school that falls under the jurisdiction of a local educational agency as defined above.

Funding Authorization

The bill authorizes appropriations of **$500 million** annually for fiscal years **2027 through 2030** for the purpose of supporting this program.

Relevant Companies

None found.