Ranking Member Scott Condemns Trump Effort to Eliminate Magnet Schools

Ranking Member Scott Condemns Trump Effort to Eliminate Magnet Schools

WASHINGTON -Today, Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel issued a Slip opinion to effectively purge federal support for magnet schools by stating the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) is unconstitutional.

"President Trump's effort to effectively eliminate the Magnet Schools Assistance Program is another step in the Republican Party's campaign to undermine public education and roll back equal opportunity.

"Created in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education, MSAP helps school districts establish and expand magnet schools that give students from every background access to specialized, high-quality programs in science, technology, the arts, and more. Magnet schools serve 3.5 million students across 4,340 schools in almost every state across the United States, and for many families, they are a path to opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. Significantly curtailing the application and use of this program will hurt students, families, and communities.

"I disagree with the administration's position. The opinion draws an incorrect conclusion that MSAP, a federal program created by Congress on a bipartisan basis, violates the Constitution. If President Trump believes the program is unconstitutional, he ought to bring that question to a court, not just declare it so by fiat. MSAP has been operating for over 40 years, working well for families and communities across the nation, and it ought to be able to continue doing so.

"This proposal does not stand alone. The administration has already withheld MSAP funding from school districts, including Fairfax County in Virginia, because they would not abandon policies that support their students. Declaring MSAP unconstitutional and severely restricting its implementation will limit choices for families and make it harder for students from every background to get a quality education.

"As the leader of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, I will fight to protect MSAP and to make sure every student has access to a high-quality public education, no matter their race, income, or ZIP code. Congress must push back against any efforts to do otherwise."

Background:

In September 2025, the Trump administration announced it would cancel MSAP grants to school districts in Chicago, New York City, and Fairfax County, Virginia, after the districts declined to change policies related to transgender students and diversity programs. Yesterday's action by the Department declares the program unconstitutional as presently administered.

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