Introduction to the Crisis
The future of the Chicago Public Schools Magnet Schools Assistance Program now hangs in the balance as the U.S. Department of Education found a plea to maintain the program in its current form unacceptable. The federal government is threatening to pull funding from CPS students and a program geared toward supporting Black students, but the district is pushing back, saying the Trump administration hasn’t provided examples of those practices breaking the law or harming students, according to communications between the district and the education department.
Background of the Conflict
The federal department targeted the MSAP at CPS over its Black Student Success Plan and treatment of transgender students in accordance with state law prohibiting gender discrimination. In order to keep the $15 million grant, the district would have to axe the Black Student Success Plan and publicly declare trans students can’t compete in sports or use the bathrooms they choose, the department has threatened.
District’s Response
In a letter sent Tuesday, CPS attorney Elizabeth Barton criticized the federal government for giving the school district 72 hours to make the changes and for threatening to pull funds without due process. “By denying CPS a response to our inquiries and access to the requested documents, you place CPS in an impossible position where we are forced to defend ourselves without the factual and legal basis that only you can provide,” Barton wrote to Department of Education Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. Barton also highlighted the department’s failure to provide examples of CPS breaking the law or harming students with the targeted programs.
Federal Government’s Stance
On Wednesday, Department of Education spokesperson Julie Hartman stood on the department’s threats to pull funding and said it would do the same in similar battles with school districts in New York City and Fairfax County, Virginia. The department didn’t specify what its next steps will be. “The Department will not rubber-stamp civil rights compliance for New York, Chicago, and Fairfax while they blatantly discriminate against students based on race and sex,” Hartman said in a statement. “These are public schools, funded by hardworking American families, and parents have every right to expect an excellent education — not ideological indoctrination masquerading as ‘inclusive’ policy. If these entities are willing to risk federal funding to continue their illegal activity, that decision falls squarely on them.”
Impact on the Magnet Schools Program
The five-year, $15 million grant is used to help four magnet schools foster personalized programs for students. The funding from this grant for fiscal year 2026 was estimated to be around $8 million. In relation to the district’s roughly $10 million budget, the grant is relatively small. But pulling this funding could signal the Trump administration’s willingness to come after more of the district’s federal funding, which made up around $1.3 billion of the district’s $8.4 billion 2024 operating budget. If the grant money disappears, the district budget office is working to consider other avenues to support the magnet schools program.
Recent Developments
Last week, Trainor rejected CPS request for a longer time period to respond to the Trump administration’s demands and other arguments. “Your arguments are unpersuasive, and your response fails to address the harms befalling CPS’ students while the district violates federal antidiscrimination laws,” Trainor said."Your requests are denied.” Trainor had previously said the Black Student Success Plan was “textbook racial discrimination,” and biased against white students and staff, and that allowing trans students to use the bathrooms that align with their gender identity creates a “hostile educational environment.” Trainor had given the district until Tuesday to walk back the targeted practices.
Conclusion
The future of the Chicago Public Schools Magnet Schools Assistance Program hangs in the balance due to the threatened withdrawal of federal funding. The conflict centers around the district’s Black Student Success Plan and its treatment of transgender students. The district is resisting the federal government’s demands, arguing that they have not provided evidence of wrongdoing or harm to students. The outcome of this conflict will have significant implications for the program and the students it serves.
FAQs
- Q: What is the Magnet Schools Assistance Program?
A: The Magnet Schools Assistance Program is a federal grant program that provides funding to magnet schools to support personalized programs for students. - Q: Why is the federal government threatening to pull funding from CPS?
A: The federal government is threatening to pull funding due to CPS’s Black Student Success Plan and its treatment of transgender students, which they claim violate federal antidiscrimination laws. - Q: What are the implications of the federal government pulling funding from CPS?
A: Pulling funding could signal the Trump administration’s willingness to come after more of the district’s federal funding and could have significant implications for the magnet schools program and the students it serves. - Q: What is the Black Student Success Plan?
A: The Black Student Success Plan is a program implemented by CPS to support the success of Black students. - Q: What is the district’s response to the federal government’s demands?
A: The district is resisting the federal government’s demands, arguing that they have not provided evidence of wrongdoing or harm to students.
