In this letter, the National Coalition on School Diversity and partner organizations advocate for the inclusion of the Fostering Diverse Schools program in the fiscal year 22 budget. Modeled after the Strength in Diversity Act introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on a bipartisan basis in the 116th Congress, this program would provide $100 million for a voluntary grant program that states and school districts could apply for to help reduce racial and socioeconomic isolation in their schools. Decades of research has shown that attending diverse schools has positive benefits for all students, both academically and socially. Now more than ever, the United States needs to invest in programs that will help students succeed. Funding this initiative would benefit individual students and larger U.S. society in important ways, particularly on issues of race.
Read the full letter here.