Strength in Diversity Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a new federal grant program aimed at reducing racial and economic segregation in public schools, from early childhood through high school. Schools and districts with significant achievement gaps and segregation can apply for competitive grants to study their diversity challenges and create plans to bring students from different backgrounds together.
• Two types of grants are available. Planning grants (up to 1 year) help schools assess their situation and engage communities. Implementation grants (up to 3 years, extendable to 5) fund actual changes like hiring diverse staff, creating specialized academic programs, redesigning school boundaries, or setting up transportation to bring students to more diverse schools.
• The bill prioritizes applicants who address racial isolation, coordinate across multiple school districts, or partner with local housing agencies. Grant recipients must track outcomes like test scores, graduation rates, achievement gaps, and teacher diversity, and submit annual progress reports to the Secretary of Education.
• The program authorizes funding for fiscal year 2027 through 2032, though it does not specify a dollar amount. Up to 5% of funding can go toward national research and best practices, and up to 10% can go to state education agencies for their own planning and implementation grants.
• The bill includes protections against federal overreach, stating that nothing in the act gives the federal government control over school curriculum, instruction, administration, or staffing decisions. All diversity strategies must be developed with robust community and parent engagement, including public hearings and outreach in languages families can understand.