Congress funds first major study of 2M school support workers
S. 4864 — PUPIL Act · Filed by Ed Markey (D-MA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill directs the U.S. Department of Education to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study of paraprofessionals and education support staff (over 2 million workers including teacher aides, custodians, food service, transportation, and health workers in U.S. public schools). The study will examine their demographics, roles, effectiveness, compensation, job security, career pathways, and the policies affecting them, with results due to Congress within 24 months and $2 million authorized for the work.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward authorization for a fact-finding study on a large, underrepresented segment of the education workforce. It contains no regulatory changes, appropriations riders, or private carve-outs—only a directive to commission research and report findings.
What the text implies
- Study findings may expose significant wage gaps and job insecurity in education support roles, potentially creating political pressure for federal intervention in compensation and employment practices traditionally controlled by states and districts.
- The study's focus on contracted, privatized, and outsourced education support staff may generate evidence of cost-cutting that harms workforce stability and student outcomes, potentially constraining future privatization trends in school operations.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (research contract recipient)