Bill · S. 4872· Senate(119-S-4872)
Keep Kids in School Act
- Introduced
- 6/23/2026
- Last activity
- 6/23/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Michael Bennet
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Keep Kids in School Act aims to help local educational agencies decrease chronic absenteeism and establish safe learning environments in public elementary and secondary schools. The Secretary of Education will award grants to State educational agencies, which then provide subgrants to local educational agencies. These funds are intended to support various activities such as hiring professionals or providing transportation. The bill also prioritizes states with high absenteeism rates or vulnerable populations. Additionally, the Comptroller General is tasked with conducting a study on the causes and interventions related to absenteeism and school safety.
Yes· 3 of 7
Would children be better off under this?+7
The bill provides resources to reduce chronic absenteeism and create safer school environments for students.
Would students be better off under this?+7
The bill aims to improve student achievement, well-being, and attendance through targeted school support.
Does this put more money into public schools?+6
The bill establishes a grant program to provide funds to state and local educational agencies for schools.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Reducing Chronic Absenteeism and Improving Safety: The bill provides funds to help schools reduce absenteeism and foster safe learning environments (Section 3(a)(1)).
-
Increased School Staff: Subgrants can be used to hire additional counselors, mental health professionals, social workers, or family liaisons (Section 3(c)(2)(A)).
-
Teacher Outreach: Funds can provide stipends to teachers so they can perform home visits for students who are chronically absent (Section 3(c)(2)(B)).
-
Improved Transportation: The bill allows for the use of funds to cover transportation costs, such as buses (Section 3(c)(2)(D)).
-
Targeted Support: The Secretary will give preference to states that have high rates of chronic absenteeism or those serving the most vulnerable student populations (Section 3(a)(2)).
-
Data-Driven Solutions: Funds can support research and data collection to help schools track absenteeism patterns and root causes (Section 3(c)(2)(E)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Reporting Requirements: Local educational agencies are required to prepare and submit reports to the State educational agency regarding the impact of the funds and whether absenteeism rates were reduced (Section 3(d)).
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+7Good For Students+7Good For Low Income Households+4
- Education And Technology
- Increases Public School Funding+6Increases Scientific Research Funding+3
- Healthcare
- Improves Mental Health Access+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- 6/23/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate