On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education announced some of the first elementary and secondary grant competitions under its new partnership with the Department of Labor. The partnership announced in November offloaded certain Elementary and Secondary Education Act education programs, including programming for low-income school districts, homeless youth, migrant students, academic supports, afterschool programs, districts receiving Impact Aid and other activities.
The two grant competitions include one meant to advance literacy in high-need districts and schools, and a second to incentivize teacher and school leaders through a performance-based compensation system.
In deciding the award recipients, the agencies plan to prioritize, among others, those that include support for families providing at-home learning, emphasize merit, meet industries’ needs, and return education to the states. The final awards will be distributed through the Department of Labor’s grant management platform rather than the Education Department’s.
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