On May 19, Legal Defense Fund (LDF) hosted an online event to commemorate the 71st Anniversary of the Brown v. Board decision. It featured Janai Nelson, Todd A. Cox, and Sam Spital of LDF; Former Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon, Johnathan J. Smith of the National Center for Youth Law; and Kimberly Robinson of the Education Civil Rights Institute at University of Virginia School of Law. A blog post by Tajah Ware captures some of the highlights.

LEGAL & POLICY UPDATES

NCSD was proud to support the reintroduction of the Strength in Diversity Act in the U.S. House, an effort again led by Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) along with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). Rep. Scott also reintroduced the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act with Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08).

Related links:

• House Democrats Reintroduce Legislation to Fulfill Promise of Brown
• See the list of 20 co-sponsors here (and let us know if you are interested in connecting with your House member!)

Late last Friday (May 30), the Trump Administration released more details on its proposed budget for FY26:

• Technical Supplement to the 2026 Budget Appendix (See pgs. 241-274 for Department of Education spending)
• Here's a related budget summary

Elements of the FY26 proposed budget are discussed in more detail throughout the newsletter (including analysis of the "skinny budget" that was released prior to this more detailed one).

Of particular note: the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) is one of the programs that the Administration plans to consolidate into its proposed K–12 Simplified Funding Program (K–12 SFP), which "would consolidate eighteen currently funded formula and competitive grant programs for elementary and secondary education into a single State formula grant program."

Via Southern Education Foundation (SEF): "[SEF] has received formal notice from the U.S. Department of Education...that, pursuant to a court order regarding preliminary injunction issued last week, its Equity Assistance Center-South (EAC-South) grant has been reinstated."

See the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia's preliminary injunction in Southern Education Foundation v. U.S. Department of Education, which challenges the Administration’s prior cancellation of SEF's EAC-South grant.

Related:

• LDF Sues U.S. Department of Education on Behalf of NAACP and Equity Assistance Center Challenging Grant Termination (note that this lawsuit, pertains to EACs more generally via the plaintiff Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium)
• Trump administration moves to slash education civil rights efforts (K-12 Dive, May 29) - "Equity Assistance Centers—created during desegregation to help schools address issues like bullying and prejudice—are among programs facing cuts."

CHARTER SCHOOLS: POLICY LANDSCAPE SHIFTING QUICKLY

A lot is happening in the world of charter schools, spanning all levels of government. Here are some main highlights:

• The Supreme Court was split 4-4 on the Oklahoma Charter School Board v. Drummond case (consolidated with St. Isidore of Seville School v. Drummond), leaving the lower court's prior ruling in place. Therefore, public funds cannot be used to fund religious charter schools.
• The Charter School Program (CSP) is the only education-related bump within President Trump's proposed "skinny budget," which asks for a $500 million investment in charters, including a $60 million increase. The Administration proposes to "create[] a new K-12 Simplified Funding Program that consolidates 18 competitive and formula grant programs into a new formula grant," in order "[t]o limit the Federal role in education, and provide States with more flexibility." (See "More on the Skinny Budget" below for additional budget details.)
• President Trump's National Charter Schools Week statement "renews [his Administration's] commitment to defend American charter schools, advance school choice, and protect the sacred right of every parent to be the steward of their children’s education."
• ED announced an additional $60 million in FY25 funding for the Charter School Program (CSP). (ED did not specify exactly where this extra funding was coming from, but the Continuing Resolution for FY25 provided spending flexibilities. The spending plan that ED is required to submit to appropriators, which should be released soon, should provide clarity.)
• A new funding opportunity--the Model Development and Dissemination Grant Program--"offers competitive grants..to develop and broadly disseminate information about innovative and effective practices of high-quality charter school models."
• ED will be accepting applications for the following CSP competitions:
• State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant (SFIG)
• Grants to State Entities
• Grants for Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities
• Grants to Charter Management Organizations for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (CMO Grants)
• Grants to Charter School Developers for the Opening of New Charter Schools and for the Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools (Developer Grants)
• ED also issued a Call for Peer Reviewers for its CSP competitions.
• A proposed bill, the “High-Quality Charter Schools Act” (H.R. 2798) would establish a 75% federal tax credit for charitable contributions toward the start-up costs of nonprofit charter school organizations.
• On May 14, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held "Reimagining Education: How Charter Schools Are Closing Gaps and Opening Doors," a hearing hosted by Chairman Kevin Kiley (R-CA).
• NCSD Research Advisory Panel member Dr. Genevieve Siegel-Hawley was one of four witnesses asked to provide testimony.
• Importantly, in her opening remarks, Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) shared concerns about the segregative impacts of charters, concluding that “Schools that receive public dollars must be part of a public education system that is accountable, transparent, and committed to equity. We cannot afford to ignore the evidence. We cannot allow innovation to become a shield for inequality. If we are serious about giving every child, regardless of race or ZIP code, a fair shot at success, then we must design our school system to deliver on that promise."
• Related news story: 3 takeaways from House debate on charter schools (K-12 Dive, May 15) - "Charter schools have traditionally been a bipartisan issue in Congress, but as the public and private school choice movement grows, lawmakers are increasingly highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of the two public options."
• Related news story: NY charter school leader compares teachers union, lawmakers to segregationists ‘barricading’ kids: ‘Super politically threatening’ (New York Post, May 18) - "Moskowitz compared teacher union leaders and lawmakers to segregationists for preventing children from joining charter schools."

ED PROPOSES SUPPLEMENTAL PRIORITIES

The U.S. Department of Education published proposed supplemental priorities which are used to inform future competitive grant programs. Secretary McMahon's proposed priorities are: 1) evidence-based literacy, 2) education choice, and 3) returning education to the states. These proposed priorities are open for public comment until June 21.

BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILL PASSES HOUSE

The House passed its budget reconciliation bill by a party-line vote (217-212). The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" was opposed by two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH), and all Democratic Members.

• Via EdTrust: Joint Statement on House Budget Reconciliation Bill - "As organizations committed to ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education, we are deeply concerned with the budget reconciliation legislation that passed the House on a party-line vote."
• Congress usually snubs private school choice expansion. Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ embraces it. (Chalkbeat, May 16) - "The $5 billion, 50-state school choice expansion would bring taxpayer-subsidized private school scholarships to dozens of states that have resisted the voucher movement....If enacted, opponents worry it would enable discrimination and further erode the idea of public education as a common good."
• How Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Will Change SNAP Benefits (Newsweek, May 23) - "Because school meals are often tied to SNAP participation, changes to SNAP eligibility and coverage could lead to fewer children qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches at school. The Urban Institute has reported that some 18 million students nationwide are enrolled in universal free meal programs, such as the Community Eligibility Provision. These schools 'could be subject to increased costs that could threaten their access to the popular CEP if the proposed changes to SNAP take effect.'"

VIA LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

Recent LDF statements that may be of interest to our network:

• LDF Submits Testimony Regarding DEI on College Campuses to U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development
• Civil Rights Organizations Call on Dept. of Transportation to Rescind Misleading “Follow the Law” Letter to Federal Grant Recipients
• On 71st Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, LDF Calls to Uphold Equal Opportunity in Education
• LDF Calls on Trump Administration to Reverse Course on Rolling Back Civil Rights Protections Meant to Remedy Housing Segregation and Create Equal to Access to Well-Resourced Neighborhoods

NCSD STAFF UPDATES

What We've Been Up to Recently

NCSD SIGNS ON TO LETTERS OPPOSING VOUCHER FUNDING

NCSD recently joined two letters related to school vouchers:

• One opposing the inclusion of funding for private school vouchers in the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act, led by the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE).
• Given that such a program was included in the budget reconciliation bill that passed the House, we also signed onto a second letter opposing any effort to authorize or create a national private school voucher program, led by the Advancement Project. We were joined by several NCSD members and partners, including: Brown’s Promise, IDRA, Integrated Schools, NYU Metropolitan Center, Legal Defense Fund, Public Advocacy for Kids, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and North Carolina Justice Center.

If your organization is interested in joining future letters, contact Nicole Fuller (nfuller@ncld.org) and/or Laura Petty (LPetty@advancementproject.org).

NCSD MEMBER UPDATES

NEWS FROM ACROSS OUR COUNTRY

National -

• Inside Trump's push against school desegregation plans (Axios, May 29) - "At least 84 school districts remain under court orders or federal monitoring agreements, an Axios review found....'These are places that never desegregated seriously, so the chances that minority students will get any response from the courts in the future to violations of rights will vanish,' said Gary Orfield, co-director of the UCLA Civil Rights Project."
• Republicans Push to Put School Desegregation Officially in the Past (New York Times, May 16) - "Nationally, more than 300 desegregation orders are estimated to still be on the books from the 1960s and 1970s, when school districts resistant to integration were put under the supervision of federal courts. In the decades since, many orders have gone dormant, with little federal enforcement. In Louisiana, one of several Southern states with the bulk of remaining orders, the attorney general, with the support of the governor, is reviewing orders statewide and has vowed to work with school districts to 'officially put the past in the past.'”
• The Resegregation of America's Public Schools (LEVEL, May 16) - "I cannot quantify in numbers the benefits of this integration, but on the ground, it had profound tangible benefits. For one, my classmates, white and Black, nearly all grew with a racially diverse group of friends, most of whom still maintain interracial relationships. And regardless of politics, that’s why nearly everyone who went through that integrated system learned a noticeable respect for people of different races, backgrounds and ethnicities. The collective of former students navigates issues of race in a far more respectful and empathetic manner than people without this formative experience."
• 5 Reasons We Should Be Very Scared About Trump's Attempt to Segregate Schools Again (The Root, May 5) - "Ending DEI is bad. Terminating desegregation orders is terrible."
• Yes, Trump's trying to make America segregated again (Daily Kos, May 2) - "President Donald Trump gave another victory to the forces of racism and intolerance on Tuesday by dismissing a desegregation case against Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana....'It’s really just signaling that the backsliding that has started some time ago is complete,' said Robert Westley, professor of antidiscrimination law at Tulane University Law School."

Connecticut -

• CT educators arrested outside governor's office while protesting for more school funding (CT Insider, May 21) - "As for disparities between wealthy districts and poor ones, [Governor Ned] Lamont acknowledged the issue but said 'sometimes the answer isn't just more money.' During their rally outside the Capitol, educators and students called for more state money for Connecticut schools — particularly those in poorer cities that often lag in resources. They described a 'tale of two Connecticuts' where students in poorer districts lack the opportunities afforded to those in wealthier ones."
• The term "Two Connecticuts" harkens back to a 1988 report by Connecticut's then Commissioner of Education, Gerald Tirozzi, "Report on Racial and Ethnic Equity and Desegregation in Connecticut's Public Schools," which helped inform Connecticut's landmark Sheff v. O'Neill case. See Racial Report on Schools: The Fallout (New York Times, Jan. 31, 1988).

Florida -

• Opinion: Don't let Florida sugarcoat its history of Jim Crow (Miami Times, May 20) - "[A]ll of us need to do as Clark and Dunn [whose stories are discussed in the article] have done and continue to fight against the forces of ignorance by organizing, protesting, engaging in civil disobedience, and using the courts, literature, music, and theater arts."

Kentucky -

• Return of magnet transportation leaves lingering concerns for some JCPS students (Courier Journal, May 21) - "Community members and students expressed mixed feedback after Jefferson County Public Schools began to provide some magnet students transportation once again on March 17....Though some [students] expressed gratitude for the return, others shared concerns about the disproportionate impact the changes in busing have had on minority students. They also worry about students who did not regain transportation but still need the support."

Maryland -

• Sandy Point Beach: Story behind a Maryland civil rights landmark (The Baltimore Banner, May 23) - "If the skies clear for Memorial Day weekend, more than 10,000 people could enjoy Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis. It’s so popular that the state instituted a reservation system this spring. A few might stop to read storyboards along the park’s ochre sands, but most won’t think much about the legal fight that gave them this pretty spot near Annapolis. This is where segregated public beaches and parks in America died."
• Lawmakers confident they can override Moore's veto, reinstate Reparations Commission bill (Maryland Matters, May 22) - "The Maryland bill called for the creation of a commission that would assess specific federal, state and local policies from 1877 to 1965, the post-Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras, that 'led to economic disparities based on race, including housing, segregation and discrimination, redlining, restrictive covenants, and tax policies....' In his veto letter, [Governor Wes] Moore praised the work and the intentions of those behind the bill, but said 'now is not the time for another study. Now is the time for continued action that delivers results for the people we serve.'"
• Producer of Glen Echo Civil Rights documentary talks about summer-long protest many haven't heard of (WUSA, May 15) - "What was a wonderland for some people was in fact a place of real pain and cruelty and exclusion for others....[A]ccording to my history advisors, it's probably the first time that a white community en masse assisted a Black student protest."

Michigan -

• Northern Exposure: U-M professor Michelle Adams' "The Containment" shines a light on the 1974 Supreme Court decision on school segregation in Detroit (Pulp, May 27) - "So one of the things we have to do today is raise people's awareness and their consciousness about what the alternatives are and about creating demand in parents for well-resourced, equal, racially integrated education." (Includes a shout out to NCSD's recent conference!)
• Ferris State’s Jim Crow Museum traveling exhibit is opening in Memphis this month for its first appearance outside of Michigan (Ferris State University, May 20) - "The traveling exhibit from Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum will be on display for the first time outside of Michigan, bringing its impactful message to Memphis, which played a pivotal role in the nation’s civil rights history. 'Overcoming Hateful Things' will open May 31 at the Memphis Museum of Science and History’s Pink Palace Museum and Mansion and will be available through October."

New Jersey -

• NJ Policy Institute Files Amicus Brief in School Segregation Lawsuit (Insider NJ, May 29) - "According to the amicus brief filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division, [NJ Policy Institute] provided research and analytical policy support to amicus curiae New Jersey Interdistrict Public School Choice Association."

New York -

• How two Rockland County schools paved the way to Brown v. Board of Education (Times Union, May 18) - "And even though New York outlawed school segregation in 1938, it continued in Hillburn. [Jamila] Brathwaite said that the town was perhaps the last community to uphold it in the state. Hillburn gerrymandered two separate school districts to avoid the law."

New Hampshire -

• Op-Ed: Here's what to say about school vouchers (InDepthNH, May 21) - "Two topics related to vouchers often not mentioned are the double burdens of paying fees and tuition costs not covered by tax-funded vouchers and the difficulty some families experience when navigating the choices in a voucher-charter-public school trilogy. A 2025 study finds that economically stronger and educationally more advantaged families better navigate what can be a very complex system of applications and admission to tax-funded voucher schools while maintaining the ability to move to catchment areas serviced by higher achieving public schools as a fall back."

North Carolina -

• 71 Years After Brown v. Board of Education...State-Funded Segregation in North Carolina (FOX 5 San Diego, May 21) - "In North Carolina, reaction against school segregation produced The Pearsall Plan that guided legislation to create the state’s first voucher program. It allowed families to receive an 'education expense grant' for private school tuition for children assigned to integrated schools. The education expense grants were declared unconstitutional in the late 1960s, but the provisions in the Pearsall Plan slowed desegregation efforts across the state. Private schools called 'segregation academies' opened in the 1960s and 1970s with the primary purpose of enrolling students whose families wanted to avoid segregated schools....Reporting in 2024 identified 39 private schools that opened as segregation academies in North Carolina and are still operating. Many of these schools have received millions in taxpayer funds. Data from a 2021-22 federal survey (the most recent data available) reveals that some still have white student populations far greater than in the local public schools."

Texas -

• Don't Call It a Comeback, Segregated Schools Have Been Here for Years (Dallas Weekly, May 22) - "[D]esegregation court orders 'were designed and put in place to correct decades of state-sanctioned neglect,' [Gary Orfield] says. 'Dropping them without real compliance means abandoning that responsibility.'"
• Will Black Students Lose More Support Without Desegregation? (Dallas Weekly, May 21) - “'We can’t check out. This is about Jim Crow — and the children of the people who survived it,' [Raymond] Pierce says. 'If we don’t fight for them, who will?'”

South Carolina -

• Preservation vs. Progress: Tobin-Boyd Elementary demolition discussion continues (WCIV, May 13) - "A 64-year-old West Ashley civil rights-era landmark could soon be lost to development. Tobin-Boyd Elementary was one of the last segregated schools built in Charleston, but preservationists are working to save the building in the Red Top community."

Virginia -

• 'Resilience Amid Resistance’: New marker reveals Virginia’s fraught journey to school integration (Virginia Mercury, May 19) - "The emblem of Virginia’s fraught educational history was the brainchild of two then-high school students, as part of the Farmville Tour Guides Project. The project’s goal is to connect modern-day students with the stories of students who lived through the turbulent Civil Rights Era and paved the way for generations of integrated education."
• NAACP honors Brown v. Board anniversary with multi-day tribute (Farmville Herald, May 8) - "And as we mark the 71st anniversary of [the Brown] ruling, the Prince Edward chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) plans for the first time to hold a three-day celebration...including programs marking the 61st anniversary of the public schools reopening. The goal is also to honor the teachers affected by and displaced as a result of the Prince Edward schools closing."

CROSS-MOVEMENT RESOURCES

JUNE 7

Washington, DC

Teach Truth Day of Action

Teaching for Change’s DC Area Educators for Social Justice (DCAESJ), CARE Washington, DC, EmpowerEd, National Education Association (NEA)

A walk/march from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) to the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), highlighting the censorship of history in schools, libraries, and museums — stopping at each of the museums on the way to share stories about what teachers and students and others have learned and why that knowledge matters. From 10am-12pm. Not in DC? Learn about other events here.

JUNE 10

Virtual

Public School Strong Campaign

H.E.A.L Together

Are you concerned about the rising tide of book-bans and attacks on students of color, LGBTQ students, and teachers that are harming our kids, our public schools, and our country's future? Connect with our partners at H.E.A.L Together, as we join with public school parents, family members, and supporters from across the country to learn how to advocate for and support well-resourced public schools. From 6:30-8pm.

JUNE 26-29

Orlando, FL

Educators Rising National Conference

Educators Rising

Each year, Educators Rising hosts a national conference to convene our network of rising educators and teacher leaders. The 2025 Conference Theme will be Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders.

JUNE 29-JULY 1

Portland, OR

Conference on Racial and Social Justice

National Education Association

Promote. Protect. Strengthen. Public Education: A Joyous Rebellion! - The Conference on Racial and Social Justice provides "a unique space for educators, students, parents and families, organizers, community members and leaders to unite for the advancement of Justice in Education."

JULY 9-11

Salt Lake City, UT

National Forum on Education

Education Commission of the States

"With over six decades of impact, the ECS National Forum on Education Policy has connected the most influential voices in education to collaborate, innovate and drive effective policy change. Leaders from all 50 states and U.S. territories convene here to tackle the most pressing issues in education — transforming ideas into action." See the agenda.