H.R. 9973: Indigenous Students Excel through Parity Act of 2026 (II)

This bill would require the federal government to revise how it calculates and funds school support for students in Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools and schools controlled by Indian Tribes.

What the bill changes

• It directs the Secretary of the Interior, working with the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, to update the Indian School Equalization Formula within one year of enactment.
• The updated formula would need to better reflect what it actually costs to run these schools, including:
  • making sure schools have enough funding to operate adequately;
  • using salary data from schools outside the BIE system, with consideration of matching the highest-paid quartile of salaries by state;
  • fully funding employee salaries at levels consistent with that salary comparison;
  • taking into account schools controlled by Tribes, very small schools, and rural schools;
  • giving Havasupai Elementary School an additional cost factor of 12.5 weighted student units.

Reporting requirement

The bill would also require the Secretary to submit a report to Congress, in consultation with Indian Tribes and students attending BIE schools, on:

• whether the current funding formula and program are meeting the needs of BIE and Tribal schools; and
• what changes should be made to improve the formula.

Per-pupil funding and annual budget requests

After the formula is updated, the bill would require the Assistant Secretary to make sure the President’s budget request includes full funding for the Indian School Equalization Program every year.

In figuring out what “full funding” means, the bill says the government must:

• use the updated formula;
• consider the most recent National Advisory Council on Indian Education annual report;
• adjust for inflation using the Consumer Price Index;
• include funding increases tied to the Department of Defense Education Activity salary schedule; and
• provide pay raises for non-teacher employees at Tribal-controlled schools at the same rate as federal employee pay increases, as required under existing law.

Practical effect

In plain terms, the bill would push the federal government to spend more accurately and, likely, more generously on Native education programs so that BIE and Tribal schools can pay staff competitively and better cover operating costs. It also creates a reporting requirement to help Congress evaluate whether the system is working.

Relevant Companies

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