This bill proposes an appropriation of $2,500,000 from the general fund to the Department of Education for a statewide educator retention initiative. The initiative aims to provide grants to school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to address challenges related to educator retention. The Department of Education will administer these funds and may collaborate with qualified organizations to implement a comprehensive approach that utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to tackle retention issues.

Grants will be available for costs associated with participation in the initiative, with applications accepted from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2029. The Department of Education is authorized to allocate up to five percent of the appropriation for administrative costs related to the grants. Additionally, the bill stipulates that any unspent funds will revert according to established procedures, and it will take effect on June 30, 2026.