WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced the award of $100 million in Magnet School grants to 36 school districts in 15 states. The awards will help school districts increase public school choices for parents and help districts attract a diverse group of students from throughout their communities.
Magnet School grants provide funding to districts for up to three years. The first-year grants range in size from $470,000 to $4 million. The awards will help school districts bring diverse groups of children together through the use of innovative educational programs and will create more school choices for parents.
The funds awarded today will help school districts establish new magnet schools or expand existing magnet programs that are part of a school district's voluntary or required desegregation plan.
“Magnet schools play an important role in providing public school options for parents and in diversifying public schools,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said.
The purpose of the program is to:
eliminate, reduce, or prevent minority group isolation in elementary and secondary schools with substantial proportions of minority students;
develop and implement magnet school programs that will assist in achieving systemic reforms and provide all students the opportunity to meet challenging state academic content standards and student achievement standards;
develop innovative educational methods and practices that promote diversity and increase choices in public elementary and secondary schools;
promote courses of instruction within magnet schools that will substantially strengthen students' knowledge of academic subjects and attainment of tangible and marketable vocational, technological, and professional skills;
improve the capacity of school districts to continue operating magnet schools after federal funding ends; and,
ensure that all students in magnet schools programs have equitable access to high-quality education that enables them to succeed academically and continue with post-secondary education or productive employment.
The Magnet Schools Assistance Program is authorized under Title V, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Act, as amended in 1994 and is administered by the Office of Innovation and Improvement.
Following is a list of Magnet School Assistance Program Grantees for FY 2010:
Arizona
Tucson Unified School District – $2,376,751
Tucson, Arizona
California
ABC Unified School District – $2,023,192
Cerritos, California
Desert Sands Unified School District – $1,284,840
La Quinta, California
Glendale Unified School District – $2,668,758
Glendale, California
Los Angeles Unified School District – $3,615,131
Los Angeles, California
Moorpark Unified School District – $852,025
Moorpark, California
Napa Valley Unified School District – $2,591,864
Napa, California
San Diego Unified School District – $2,608,180
San Diego, California
Ventura Unified School District – $850,000
Ventura, California
Colorado
El Paso County School District #11 – $2,334,368
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Connecticut
Area Cooperative Educational Services – $473,767
North Haven, Connecticut
Capitol Region Education Council – $3,729,379
Hartford, Connecticut
New Haven Public Schools – $3,017,801
New Haven, Connecticut
Florida
Duval County Public Schools – $4,000,000
Jacksonville, Florida
Hillsborough County Public Schools – $3,904,128
Tampa, Florida
School Board of Polk County – $3,964,935
Bartow, Florida
The School Board of Broward County – $3,137,326
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Indiana
Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township – $3,990,901
Indianapolis, Indiana
Kansas
Unified School District 259 dba Wichita Public Schools – $1,007,711
Wichita, Kansas
Louisiana
Lafayette Parish School Board – $3,941,306
Lafayette, Louisiana
Tangipahoa Parish School District – $2,046,177
Amite, Louisiana
Massachusetts
Springfield Public Schools – $3,889,500
Springfield, Massachusetts
Minnesota
Independent School District 197 – $2,211,380
Mendota Heights, Minnesota
Mississippi
Cleveland School District – $1,092,899
Cleveland, Mississippi
New York
City School District of Albany – $2,500,000
Albany, New York
Community School District 14 – $3,382,808
Brooklyn, New York
Community School District 3 – $3,765,525
New York, New York
Community School District 30 – $3,787,532
Long Island City, New York
South Carolina
Orangeburg County Consolidated School District Three – $2,152,025
Holly Hill, South Carolina
Richland School District Two – $2,828,890
Columbia, South Carolina
Tennessee
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools – $4,000,000
Nashville, Tennessee
Texas
Corpus Christi Independent School District – $2,256,619
Corpus Christi, Texas
Ector Independent School District – $2,267,860
Odessa, Texas
Galveston Independent School District – $3,950,000
