Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2026

Title I sets aside $20 billion a year for five years, and the money stays usable through 2036. States hand it to districts that serve many low-income students and cannot borrow much on their own.

A new bond type lets a district borrow and have a federal tax credit pay all of the interest. The cap is $10 billion in each of 2027, 2028, and 2029, and then it stops.

Title V sets the building fund for schools on or near federal land at $100 million a year. That covers schools serving military bases, Tribal lands, and other federal property. It runs 2027 through 2031.

Building projects paid for with these school bonds must follow federal prevailing wage law. Contractors would have to pay at least the going local rate for each trade.

Districts may spend grant money to bring buildings in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act also applies. Many older schools do not meet either law.

Iron, steel, and other goods bought with these funds must be made in the United States. The Education Secretary may waive that rule if it would raise a project's cost by more than 25 percent.

No grant or bond money may go to a charter school run or managed by a for-profit company. It also blocks money when the building's landlord holds a governing role at the school.

Any new build or major renovation must meet a green building standard. LEED, Green Globes, CHPS, and the Living Building Challenge all count. A state program that is just as strict counts too.

Grant money may pay to take out lead, asbestos, mercury, radon, and PCBs. It also covers PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals. Mold, mildew, and pests are covered as well.

States would have to write rules requiring regular testing of school drinking water at the tap. Grant money can pay for that testing and for fixing whatever it turns up.

Districts may swap gas heat, water heaters, and stoves for electric ones. They may also put renewable power on the school site.

Each state must build a public, searchable list of every public school building. It shows the age of the roof, wiring, plumbing, and air systems. It also shows fire checks and nearby toxic sites.

A district that takes a grant must publish what each project cost. It must post how many jobs the work made. It must also report the share of contracts won by small, minority-owned, veteran-owned, and women-owned firms.

The bond limit covers only 2027 through 2029, and the grant money is authorized only through 2031. Congress would have to pass a new law to keep either one going.

Title VI sets up its own grant program for schools with failing foundations. The cause is pyrrhotite, an iron mineral that makes concrete crumble. Unlike the rest of the bill, this funding has no dollar cap and no end year.

Districts that already paid to fix a pyrrhotite foundation can be paid back for that work. The look-back reaches five years before the date the law would take effect.