The Rebuild America’s Schools Act has been introduced four times since 2019, but has not advanced to final passage. | Photo Credit: Courtesy of McCarthy
What You Need to Know
- Lawmakers reintroduced the Rebuild America’s Schools Act, proposing $130 billion for K-12 facility upgrades.
- $100 billion would flow through state formula grants, with 95% passed through to districts based on need-related criteria.
- $30 billion would restore qualified school infrastructure bonds and qualified zone academy bonds, with allocations planned from 2027–2029.
- The bill would also require states to build publicly searchable databases tracking school facility conditions.
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A bicameral proposal would send $130 billion in federal support to help school districts address long-deferred facility upgrades, combining state formula grants with revived bond authority intended to expand access to capital in lower-income communities.
The Rebuild America’s Schools Act has been introduced four times since 2019, but has not advanced to final passage, according to Facilities Dive.
Under the latest version, $100 billion would be distributed through formula grants to states. Of that amount, 95% would be directed to districts using criteria that include local child poverty levels, fiscal limitations on raising funds and the severity of facility needs.
An additional $30 billion would be provided as bond authority for two programs — qualified school infrastructure bonds and qualified zone academy bonds — which were eliminated under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill would spread the bond authority in $10 billion increments each year from 2027 through 2029.
Supporters argue restoring qualified zone academy bonds could be particularly significant for communities with limited tax bases, where bond referenda can be harder to pass. The bill would reduce matching requirements and add flexibility on eligible uses, according to the article.
Facilities funding disparities have also triggered constitutional challenges in multiple states. Facilities Dive noted lawsuits filed last year in California and Arizona alleging that reliance on local district funding for building upkeep and modernization creates inequities; Arizona’s system was ruled unconstitutional, while California’s case remains pending.
To improve visibility into facility conditions, the measure would require each state to develop a database documenting school infrastructure. “An online, publicly searchable database [should provide] an inventory of the infrastructure of all public school facilities in the state,” according to an article from Facilities Dive.
Even with broad coalition support, near-term prospects for the bill appear uncertain. The article said Congress had just passed its FY 2026 consolidated appropriations package, leaving no immediate legislative vehicle, and noted the Trump administration is unlikely to back the proposal.
Advocates say the investment would address a major backlog. “We are hopeful that the federal government recognizes that this investment would provide a much-needed solution to a glaring problem,” according to an article from Facilities Dive.
This article is based on reporting originally published by Facilities Dive on Feb. 6, 2026.