---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 7231"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "7231"
heading: "Findings and purpose"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/7231"
units:
  - "Chapter 70 — Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools"
  - "Subchapter IV — 21st Century Schools"
  - "Part D — Magnet Schools Assistance"
---

# §7231. Findings and purpose

- (a) **Findings—** Congress makes the following findings:
  - (1) [Magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md) are a significant part of the Nation’s effort to achieve voluntary desegregation in our Nation’s [schools](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11).
  - (2) The use of [magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md) has increased dramatically since the inception of the [magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md) assistance program under this chapter, with approximately 2,500,000 students nationwide attending such [schools](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11), of whom more than 69 percent are non-white.
  - (3) [Magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md) offer a wide range of distinctive programs that have served as models for [school](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11) improvement efforts.
  - (4) It is in the best interests of the United States—
    - (A) to continue the Federal Government’s support of [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A) that are implementing court-ordered desegregation plans and [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A) that are voluntarily seeking to foster meaningful interaction among students of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, beginning at the earliest stage of such students’ education;
    - (B) to ensure that all students have equitable access to a high quality education that will prepare all students to function well in a technologically oriented and a highly competitive economy comprised of people from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds; and
    - (C) to continue to desegregate and diversify [schools](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11) by supporting [magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md), recognizing that segregation exists between minority and nonminority students as well as among students of different minority groups.
  - (5) Desegregation efforts through [magnet school](/usc/20/7231a.md) programs are a significant part of our Nation’s effort to achieve voluntary desegregation in [schools](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11) and help to ensure equal educational opportunities for all students.
- (b) **Purpose—** The purpose of this part is to assist in the desegregation of [schools](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11) served by [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A) by providing financial assistance to eligible [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A) for—
  - (1) the elimination, reduction, or prevention of minority group isolation in [elementary schools](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) and [secondary schools](/usc/20/7801.md?p=45) with substantial proportions of minority students, which shall include assisting in the efforts of the United States to achieve voluntary desegregation in public [schools](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11);
  - (2) the development, implementation, and expansion of [magnet school](/usc/20/7231a.md) programs that will assist [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A) in achieving systemic reforms and providing all students the opportunity to meet challenging [State](/usc/20/7801.md?p=48) academic standards;
  - (3) the development, design, and expansion of innovative educational methods and practices that promote diversity and increase choices in public [elementary schools](/usc/20/7801.md?p=19) and public [secondary schools](/usc/20/7801.md?p=45) and public educational programs;
  - (4) courses of instruction within [magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md) that will substantially strengthen the knowledge of academic subjects and the attainment of tangible and marketable career, technological, and professional skills of students attending such [schools](/usc/20/5802.md?p=a-11);
  - (5) improving the capacity of [local educational agencies](/usc/20/7801.md?p=30-A), including through [professional development](/usc/20/7801.md?p=42), to continue operating [magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md) at a high performance level after Federal funding for the [magnet schools](/usc/20/7231a.md) is terminated; and
  - (6) ensuring that all students enrolled in the [magnet school](/usc/20/7231a.md) programs have equitable access to high quality education that will enable the students to succeed academically and continue with postsecondary education or employment.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 89–10, title IV, § 4401, formerly title V, § 5301, as added Pub. L. 107–110, title V, § 501, Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 1806; renumbered title IV, § 4401, and amended Pub. L. 114–95, title IV, §§ 4001(b)(3)(A), (B), (D)(i), 4401(1), Dec. 10, 2015, 129 Stat. 1967, 2014.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 7231, Pub. L. 89–10, title V, § 5201, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3695, set forth short title and findings for the Women’s Educational Equity Act of 1994, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter V of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

A prior section 4401 of Pub. L. 89–10 was classified to section 3121 of this title, prior to the general amendment of Pub. L. 89–10 by Pub. L. 103–382.

### Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4401(1)(A), substituted “2,500,000” for “2,000,000” and “69” for “65”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4401(1)(B)(i), substituted “, implementation, and expansion” for “and implementation” and “standards” for “content standards and student academic achievement standards”.

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4401(1)(B)(ii), substituted “, design, and expansion” for “and design”.

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4401(1)(B)(iii), substituted “career” for “vocational”.

Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 114–95, § 4401(1)(B)(iv), struck out “productive” before “employment”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2015 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.