Title 25 › Chapter 22— BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS PROGRAMS › § 2001
Requires Bureau-funded Indian schools to be accredited so students get an education equal to or better than other U.S. students. Local school boards, tribes, and communities are encouraged to make clear education goals for their schools. Within 24 months after January 8, 2002, each Bureau-funded school must be a candidate for accreditation or already accredited by either a tribal, regional, or State agency (or a State chosen by the tribe if a reservation crosses States). The Secretary must report within 12 months on whether a tribal accrediting agency should be created. The tribe or authorized school board chooses which type of accreditation the school seeks. If schools ask and funds are available, the Secretary must help them get accredited with technical and financial aid, directly or through other experienced groups. Until a school is accredited, it follows the standards that were in effect the day before January 8, 2002, unless an accrediting agency’s standards conflict. Every year, within 90 days after the school year ends, the Secretary must report which schools are not accredited or not candidates, why, and what money is needed to fix the problem. Before listing a school as unaccredited, the Secretary must let the school use its accreditation agency remedies, let the school review the data, and consider any objections; a final decision must be public within 30 days. If a school is listed as unaccredited, it has 120 days to make a 3-year plan with parents, staff, the school board, and others. The plan must say how the school will fix the problems, how it will use funds, yearly goals, how parents will be told, and who is responsible. The school must start the plan by the next school year if resources are available. The Secretary must set up a peer review within 45 days and approve plans that meet the rules. The Secretary will review progress each year and keep helping. If a school still isn’t accredited after three full years, the Secretary can require corrective actions, offer students the option to transfer to accredited schools (and pay for transportation if funds allow), set aside funds, consult with the tribe, give the tribe 60 days to take over the school as a contract or grant school, or hire an outside group or receiver to run the school until it is accredited. For contract or grant schools, the Secretary must give notice and a chance for a hearing before taking corrective action. Employee rights, and consistent financial reporting rules for contract and grant schools, remain in place. The Secretary must also send yearly plans to Congress with each school’s status, costs, and timelines. Schools cannot be closed, consolidated, or cut back without tribal approval (except by tribe request or immediate safety hazards), and the Comptroller General will study funding and the Secretary will share the findings with tribes and school boards.
Full Legal Text
Indians — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
25 U.S.C. § 2001
Title 25 — Indians
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60