HR7798-119

What This Bill Does

The School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act directs the Secretary of Education to award grants of up to four years to high-need local educational agencies for retaining or hiring qualified school social workers. Funds must supplement existing federal, state, and local spending. Grantees must work toward at least one school social worker per 250 students, with an optional one-per-50 ratio in schools where most students have intensive needs. Contractors may be used only after a district shows sustained recruitment efforts failed and contracting is the only viable way to provide adequate access.

Grant-supported social workers must identify high-need students and provide counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, behavioral and mental-health services, case management, home visits, resource referrals, teacher support, and services addressing barriers such as housing, transportation, and food insecurity. Funds may reimburse travel, service expenses, and clinical supervision. Grants may be renewed if districts report staffing expansion, progress toward the ratio, and work performed for higher-risk students. The Secretary must provide application assistance and extend deadlines for eligible districts that request help after timely notice. The bill authorizes $100 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, must also establish a national evaluation and technical-assistance center. The center will help states, Tribal governments, districts, universities, students, and educators improve school social-work strategies; study program cost and effectiveness; collect and share workforce ratios, outcomes, and best practices; build workforce-development programs; document successful methods; and form intergovernmental and nonprofit partnerships.

Who Benefits and How

High-need school districts benefit from federal grants to hire or retain school social workers and from application assistance. Qualified school social workers benefit from new positions, travel reimbursement, clinical supervision, and workforce-development support. Students with intensive needs gain access to counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed services, case management, home visits, and resource connections. Families, teachers, state education agencies, Tribal education agencies, and university social-work programs benefit from the national center's training, data, and technical assistance.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Grant-funded districts must apply, preserve existing funding, meet staffing and contractor conditions, document services, and report progress for renewals. School social workers must meet graduate-degree and state or local credential requirements and provide the listed services. Education Department grant administrators must run the competition, provide technical assistance, monitor ratios, and oversee renewals. National center staff must evaluate programs, collect data, build partnerships, and disseminate results. Federal education appropriations bear $100 million per year from 2026 through 2030.

Key Provisions

• Awards grants of up to four years to high-need local educational agencies for qualified school social workers.
• Targets one social worker per 250 students and permits one per 50 in schools serving mostly higher-risk students.
• Limits contractors to districts that document unsuccessful recruitment and lack another viable option.
• Requires counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, case management, home visits, resource connection, and teacher support.
• Allows reimbursement for travel, service expenses, and clinical supervision.
• Permits grant renewals after progress reporting and requires federal application assistance with deadline extensions.
• Authorizes $100 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
• Establishes a national center for evaluation, workforce development, data dissemination, partnerships, and technical assistance.