# 119-s-5568: Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act of 2026

119-s-5568, Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5568
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5568
- Congress: 119
- Title: Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-28
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-16

## Summary

**Reduce K–3 class sizes to 18 students in the highest-poverty elementary schools.** This bill would create a five-year competitive grant program that prioritizes the neediest districts, funds teacher hiring and supports, and requires annual reporting and federal evaluation. - Families and students: Targeted schools would be funded to reduce kindergarten through grade 3 classes to no more than 18 students and would track student achievement where data exist. - Teachers and local schools: Local districts would use at least 97% of grant money for direct class-size reduction and may spend limited shares on extra classroom space and professional development to support new hires. - Districts and accountability: Grants run for five years and are prioritized for schools with the highest poverty rates; districts must file annual reports and the Institute of Education Sciences will evaluate outcomes like teacher retention, school climate, and student discipline. *Would authorize $2.0 billion for the first fiscal year and such sums as necessary thereafter, increasing federal spending.*

## Cosponsors (4)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Smaller class sizes for K–3 students: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would create a competitive federal grant program to cut class sizes in kindergarten through grade 3. The program would get $2 billion in the first fiscal year and fund five-year grants to school districts. Grants would prioritize high-poverty districts and "targeted schools" (s…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5568 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5568)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5568 (as of 2026-10-16).