USED Issues Guidance on Participation of Religious Organizations in Federal Education Grants

On August 7, Secretary DeVos released new guidance suggesting state and local governments must consider religious and nonreligious organizations equally when reviewing applications for subgrants of federal education funding programs. The guidance also creates a federal process for individuals and organizations to file discrimination complaints if they feel they have missed out on education benefits because of religious affiliation. This move by USED is one of the first to cite the recent Supreme Court ruling in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue as basis for potentially extending public education benefits to religious schools. (The guidance document is here; a Department press release is here; read EdWeek coverage here.)