The Department of Education anticipates issuing 30-40 awards to school districts for five-year awards with a maximum cap of $15 million. The notice of intent to apply deadline is March 24 and full application deadline is April 25.

The purpose of the program is to assist LEAs in the desegregation of schools by providing financial assistance to eligible LEAs for:

1) The elimination, reduction or prevention of minority group isolation in elementary schools and secondary schools with substantial proportions of minority students, which shall include assisting in the efforts of the United States to achieve voluntary desegregation in public schools;

2) The development, implementation, and expansion of magnet school programs that will assist LEAs in achieving systemic reforms and providing all students the opportunity to meet challenging State academic standards;

3) The development, design and expansion of innovative educational methods and practices that promote diversity and increase choices in public elementary schools and public secondary schools and public educational programs;

4) Courses of instruction within magnet schools that will substantially strengthen the knowledge of academic subjects and the attainment of tangible and marketable career, technological, and professional skills of students attending such schools;

5) Improving the capacity of LEAs, including through professional development, to continue operating magnet schools at a high performance level after Federal funding for the magnet schools is terminated; and

6) Ensuring that all students enrolled in the magnet school programs have equitable access to high quality education that will enable the students to succeed academically and continue with postsecondary education or employment.

Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, MSAP has supported LEAs in establishing numerous successful magnet schools, defined under section 4402 of the ESEA, 20 U.S.C. 7231a, as public elementary or secondary schools that offer “a special curriculum capable of attracting substantial numbers of students of different racial backgrounds.” In this competition, the department seeks to focus applicants on effectively addressing the legislative purpose of the MSAP statute — assisting LEAs in the desegregation of schools through the use of magnet schools — by requiring applicants to demonstrate how they intend to align the elements of their proposed MSAP projects with their required (e.g., court-ordered) or voluntary desegregation plans, which must be submitted as a component of their applications.

For more information on the program, including upcoming webinars to assist with the application process, visit https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/02/22/2022-03643/applications-for-new-awards-magnet-schools-assistance-program.