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# Biden-Harris Administration Awards $14 Million Under First-Ever Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant Program

# Biden-Harris Administration Awards $14 Million Under First-Ever Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grant Program

October 19, 2023

**Contact:  **press@ed.gov

                                    -        
The  U.S. Department of Education (Department) has made $14 million in awards to  help support local- and state-driven voluntary efforts to foster more diverse  school communities through its first-ever Fostering Diverse Schools  Demonstration Program. These grants, in alignment with the  Department’s Raise the Bar: Lead the World call to action, support districts as  they work to enrich educational experiences by providing every student with a  well-rounded education and improved school conditions for student learning,  inclusive of a broader perspective on the world.

“Every student in  America deserves access to a high-quality education, but persistent racial and  socioeconomic isolation in our schools continues to result in inadequate  resources, lesser access to advanced courses, fewer extracurricular offerings,  and other tangible inequities that disproportionately impact students of color  and students from low-income backgrounds at every stage of their educational  journeys and throughout their lives,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel  Cardona. “President Biden always says that diversity is America’s greatest  strength, and that is incredibly clear in the classroom, where research shows  that students of all backgrounds benefit from learning in diverse environments.  Our Fostering Diverse Schools Grant program will support innovative,  locally-driven efforts to Raise the Bar for academic achievement and learning  conditions in our schools by providing more students with more diverse, more  equitable, and ultimately, more enriching learning opportunities.”

This  grant announcement comes as schools and classrooms have become increasingly  more separated along lines of socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. Yet,  we know that diverse schools and classrooms can benefit every student,  regardless of their race or background. The new Fostering Diverse Schools  Demonstration program will support voluntary efforts by local school districts  to increase school socioeconomic diversity, including by providing new or expanded  access to schoolwide specialized academic programs, unique program options, or  analyzing the location and capacity of facilities to promote socioeconomic  school diversity. This new program further delivers on President Biden’s  day-one executive order, to advance racial equity and support for underserved  communities through the federal government.

Earlier this year, the Department released a report on State of School Diversity in the United States,  showing that schools that are isolated along racial or socioeconomic lines  often have less access to critical resources and funding. These conditions can perpetuate  gaps in opportunity that can limit the chance for underserved students to grow  and excel academically. The Department received applications from eligible entities  in over 20 states and made 14 new awards for this inaugural cohort of Fostering Diverse Schools  grantees. Recipients have committed to working closely with families, students,  communities, and school diversity plans through a variety of activities. For example, grantees will engage  with students, families, community leaders and staff to better understand the  needs of their school communities and how to best address them. Other grantees will provide  professional development to support educators who work in under resourced schools and  communities. Across  the board, grantees will implement well-rounded learning opportunities to  expand access to high-quality instruction and enrichment.

The  Department’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) also  aims to foster greater diversity in schools. MSAP provided grants to eligible  local education agencies to establish and operate innovative magnet schools,  attract a diverse group of students, and help desegregate public schools. The  Department awarded $92 million to 16 grantees through MSAP this year. Together  with the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Program, the Department  invested more than $100 million in the past fiscal year in support of school  diversity and equitable access to high-quality education that prepares students  to succeed academically in diverse learning environments.

**New  Awards:**

**Fostering Diverse  Schools Demonstration Program**—**Planning Grants**

**Name** 

**State** 

**Amount** 

**Oakland Unified School    District**** **

**CA**** **

**$499,687 **** **

**Board of Education City    of Chicago**** **

**IL**** **

**$500,000 **** **

**Fayette County Public    Schools**** **

**KY**** **

**$500,000 **** **

**Maryland State    Department of Education in partnership with Anne Arundel County Public    Schools, Charles County Public Schools, Frederick County Public Schools,    Howard County Public Schools, and Montgomery County Public Schools**** **

**MD**** **

**$500,000 **** **

**Cumberland County    Schools**** **

**NC**** **

**$249,997 **** **

**Winston-Salem/Forsyth    County Schools**** **

**NC**** **

**$444,888 **** **

**Secaucus School District**** **

**NJ**** **

**$499,360 **** **

**Osage County Interlocal    Cooperative**** **

**OK**** **

**$498,943 **** **

**Rhode Island Mayoral    Academy Blackstone Valley**** **

**RI**** **

**$252,924 **** **

**Hamilton County    Department of Education**** **

**TN**** **

**$251,593 **** **

 

**Fostering  Diverse Schools Demonstration Program - Implementation Grants**

**Name** 

**State** 

**Amount** 

**Anchorage School    District**** **

**AK**** **

**$2,262,205 **** **

**East Baton Rouge Parish**** **

**LA**** **

**$2,848,676 **** **

**NYC Department of    Education**** **

**NY**** **

**$1,478,283 **** **

**NYC Department of    Education**** **

**NY**** **

**$1,684,479 **** **

 

**Magnet Schools  Assistance Program Grants **

**Name** 

**State** 

**Amount ** 

**San Diego Unified School    District**** **

**CA**** **

**$2,999,777**** **

**Napa Valley Unified    School District**** **

**CA**** **

**$2,255,742**** **

**Capitol Region Education    Council**** **

**CT**** **

**$3,145,741**** **

**Norwalk Public Schools**** **

**CT**** **

**$2,934,362**** **

**Tangipahoa Parish School    System**** **

**LA**** **

**$2,794,335**** **

**St. Martin Parish    Schools**** **

**LA**** **

**$2,969,569**** **

**Ypsilanti Community    Schools**** **

**MI**** **

**$2,594,350**** **

**Wake County Public    School System**** **

**NC**** **

**$3,436,067**** **

**Albuquerque Public    Schools**** **

**NM**** **

**$3,310,871**** **

**Clark County School    District**** **

**NV**** **

**$1,767,758**** **

**NYC Department of    Education - Community School District 4**** **

**NY**** **

**$2,999,999**** **

**NYC Department of    Education - Community School District 7**** **

**NY**** **

**$2,999,999**** **

**School District Five of    Lexington and Richland Counties**** **

**SC**** **

**$2,338,673**** **

**Metro Nashville Public    Schools**** **

**TN**** **

**$2,621,556**** **

**Victoria Independent    School District**** **

**TX**** **

**$3,108,810**** **

**Longview Independent    School District**** **

**TX**** **

**$3,248,283**** **

 
   -  Tags: Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grants ProgramDiversityPress Releases
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