Indigenous Students Excel through Parity Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1]
Introduced
Summary
Funding parity for Bureau-funded Indian schools is the bill's central aim. It would require studies to update the Indian School Equalization Formula and to find revenue paths to raise salaries and resources to match other public schools and Department of Defense benchmarks.
Show full summary
- Families and students: The bill would push the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to identify the funding needed so students at Bureau-funded schools can get a higher-quality education comparable to non-BIE public schools.
- Teachers and staff: The study would seek salary targets that match the higher of State-by-State top salaries or Department of Defense overseas teacher pay to help recruit and retain educators and school staff.
- Tribally controlled, small, and rural schools: The review must consider special weights or ratios for tribally controlled schools, schools with fewer than 100 students, and rural locations.
- Havasupai Elementary School: The bill explicitly authorizes an added cost factor of 12.5 Weighted Student Unit for Havasupai Elementary.
- Transparency and planning: The Secretary, the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and the BIE Director would report findings and recommendations to Congress and publicly to tribes, and the bill would include a separate study to identify potential revenue sources.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Study to raise pay for tribal schools
This bill would require the Interior Department to finish studies and submit a public report within 1 year. The studies would update the Indian School Equalization Formula and design alternative, fair funding methods. They would aim to fund salaries so Bureau-funded teachers, principals, and staff match the higher of state top-quartile pay or the Defense Department overseas teacher rate. The studies would consider tribally controlled schools, schools under 100 students, and rural locations. The bill would also require adding 12.5 weighted student units for Havasupai Elementary School and would direct the Secretary to send findings and recommendations to Congress and make them public to Indian Tribes.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1]
NM • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]
MS • R
Sponsored 7/23/2026
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
NM • D
Sponsored 8/20/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov