Bill · S. 4047· Senate(119-S-4047)
Kids in Classes Act
- Introduced
- 3/11/2026
- Last activity
- 3/11/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Tim Scott
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the Kids in Classes Act. It looks at how school closures negatively affect children, especially those in poorer neighborhoods. The bill requires public schools that receive certain federal education funds to make in-person instruction available. If a school fails to provide in-person instruction for more than three days during a school year because of a public health emergency or a collective bargaining action, it must follow a direct payment plan. Under this plan, parents are directly paid a calculated amount of federal funds for each day the school fails to open. Parents must then use these payments for qualified educational expenses.
Yes· 3 of 7
Does this make it easier to use public money at a school other than the local one?+6
The bill provides direct funding to parents for alternative educational expenses like private tuition when public schools fail to open.
Would children be better off under this?+5
The bill provides alternative educational funding options for children when public schools remain closed.
Would students be better off under this?+5
Ensures students have access to alternative learning materials and tutoring if in-person schooling is unavailable.
The opposite
Would union members be better off under this?-5
The legislation disincentivizes collective bargaining actions and school closures, negatively impacting teacher unions.
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?-4
The bill penalizes schools for closures due to collective bargaining actions, which negatively impacts union leverage.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Direct payments to parents for education expenses: Section 3 adds a new subsection (f)(3)(A) to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which allows parents to be directly paid if their child's school fails to provide in-person instruction for more than three days due to a public health emergency or collective bargaining action. This could help families pay for alternative educational needs.
-
Funds can be used for a wide range of learning tools: Section 3 outlines qualified educational expenses in subsection (f)(1)(C), which includes curriculum materials, books, technological and online educational materials, tutoring, private school tuition, testing fees, diagnostic tools, and educational therapies for students with disabilities. This gives parents flexibility in how they educate their children during closures.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Strict tracking and return of unused funds: Section 3 adds subsection (f)(3)(D), requiring parents to submit receipts to prove the direct payments were spent on qualified educational expenses or return any unused amounts to the local educational agency within 30 days after the school resumes in-person instruction. This could create a heavy administrative burden and stress for families during already difficult times.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Children+5Good For Students+5Good For Low Income Households+4Good For Middle Class Households+3Good For People With Disabilities+3Good For Union Workers-5
- Education And Technology
- Improves School Choice+6
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Union Protections-4
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+2
- 3/11/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.