U.S. Education Secretary Refuses to Ban Federal Funding for Schools that Discriminate
Education Sect’y DeVos won’t say whether feds will refuse to fund schools who deny students based on race or sexuality.
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will not say whether she would direct officials to withhold federal funding from private schools that discriminate against certain students.
The Michigan native, who has long been an advocate for school choice programs, testified before a U.S. House subcommittee this week.
The issue arose during a hearing on the Education Department’s budget.
Members of Congress questioned if DeVos would allow states to provide federal funds to private schools that refuse to admit students based on factors such as their sexual orientation.
DeVos did not answer directly, instead saying that states should create rules based on what a parent prefers.
“Parents are the best equipped to make choices for their children’s schooling and education decisions. And too many children today are trapped in schools that do not work for them,” DeVos says. “We have to do something different than continuing a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach.”
The Trump Administration is proposing $250 million for vouchers that would help students go to private or religious schools instead of entering a public education system.
