Murphy, Blumenthal Reintroduce Legislation to Expand Federal Support for Magnet Schools

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced legislation to fuel the growth of magnet schools nationwide by improving and expanding the federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP). The Magnet Schools Accessibility, Growth, and Nonexclusionary Enrollment Transformation (MAGNET) Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.).

"Magnet schools offer millions of kids an educational alternative which allows them to thrive, and my bill would make sure we keep those options available for families, in Connecticut, and across the country," said Murphy. "All kids, regardless of where they grow up, deserve access to a classroom setting that works for them."

"Magnet schools provide an important option for parents," said Blumenthal. "By bringing together students from different zip codes, these schools are vital to improving equity and diversity in our classrooms - contributing to overall success for students. The federal government should continue funding magnet schools while meeting its responsibility to provide better resources for all schools."

Magnet schools are public schools designed to cater to different learning styles and attract a wide range of students from different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, and across zip codes. Over 40,000 Connecticut students - and 3.5 million students nationwide - currently attend magnet schools. But as school districts become increasingly segregated by race and income, this legislation updates the MSAP grant to expand access to funding and promote diversity. The bill will also authorize the Supplemental Diversity Grant (SDG), a new grant program housed under MSAP to help preexisting magnet programs reach diversity-related goals.

The MAGNET Act is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT); National Education Association (NEA); Magnet Schools of America; National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); National Coalition on School Diversity (NCSD); Capitol Region Education Council; Center for Educational Equity, Teachers College, Columbia University; Center on Law, Inequality, and Metropolitan Equity at Rutgers Law School; Civil Rights Project at UCLA; Education Law Center; Integrated Schools; Poverty and Race Research and Action Council (PRRAC); Southern Education Foundation; and Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation.

The Magnet Schools Accessibility, Growth, and Nonexclusionary Enrollment Transformation (MAGNET) Act is part of a package of education-focused bill introductions from Senator Murphy this week, alongside the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act and The Protecting Our Students in Schools Act.

Read the MAGNET Act full bill text here.