A new bipartisan bill in Congress could make it easier for rural schools in Upstate New York to hire and keep qualified STEM teachers.
Congressman Josh Riley (NY-19) and Congressman Mike Kennedy (UT-03) introduced the Boosting the Rural STEM Pipeline Act this week. The bill aims to permanently remove financial barriers for small colleges applying for federal Noyce grants — a key funding source that helps train STEM majors to become teachers in high-need school districts.
“For too long, rural schools have been told to make do with less,” Riley said. “Our kids deserve a fair shot and our teachers deserve a helping hand — and I’ll be in their corner every day to make sure they have both.”
Rural colleges often couldn’t afford the matching fund requirement tied to the Noyce program. When that requirement was temporarily lifted under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, more schools applied — and more STEM teachers ended up in rural classrooms.
That includes over $2.5 million in new grants across Riley’s district:
- $1.2 million for SUNY Oneonta
- $700,000 for Binghamton University
- $671,000 for Ithaca College
The new bill would make the matching fund fix permanent, allowing more rural colleges to keep training teachers without budget hurdles.
Supporters include the State University of New York, New York State United Teachers, and the Center for Excellence in Education.
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