Dive Brief:

• The Stronger Together School Diversity Act of 2016, introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) in their respective chambers of the U.S. Congress, would make $120 million available to districts to improve racial and socioeconomic diversity in schools.
• In a press call announcing the bill, Fudge pointed to the gaps between high- and low-poverty districts and those that are racially segregated versus racially diverse when it comes to quality of teaching, class materials, suspension and expulsion rates.
• Districts would be able to apply for the funding through a voluntary grant program and use it for a range of initiatives, including to study the effects of segregation, develop evidence-based plans to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity, establish public school choice zones, revise school boundaries, develop innovative programs to attract new students and hire good teachers.

Dive Insight:

National education data shows public schools are, on average, more segregated now than they were 30 years ago. Murphy said progress that once seemed like an inexorable march, following the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, is now clearly being degraded.

The voluntary grant program is expected to avoid any forced diversity initiatives at schools in communities that are not open to them. It was announced Tuesday with strong backing from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who said increasing segregation is expanding beyond simply a problem for schools, but one for the entire country. Districts that are already working to increase diversity in their schools have launched new magnet, dual language and other enrichment programs to attract families from all racial groups and income levels.