Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is not happy with the Trump administration's latest move on education. The administration has proposed new rules that would strip tax-exempt status from private schools that discriminate based on race, color, or national origin. Schumer, for his part, sees this as part of a broader attack on the American education system.
In a post on X, Schumer accused President Donald Trump of leading what he called an "assault on American education," claiming the administration is "defunding it, radicalizing its agenda, and dismantling it." He urged Trump to focus on building up schools rather than attacking them, and pledged that he and his fellow Democrats in the Senate will continue to fight for every child's access to a good education.
Schumer's criticism comes as the Treasury and IRS, on Thursday, proposed rules to implement Trump's executive orders. The proposal would revoke tax-exempt status from private schools that discriminate based on race, color, or national origin. It would cover admissions, scholarships, athletics, and other programs at as many as 18,000 institutions.
Schools could still use race-neutral criteria, such as family income, geographic location, first-generation status, individual hardship, military family status, or academic achievement, to support disadvantaged students. The rules are set to take effect in 2027.
"Schools rebranding race-based preferences as equitable, inclusive, or diversity-enhancing does not change their discriminatory nature," the Treasury said in a statement.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has taken aim at the education system. In March 2025, Trump ordered steps to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and return education authority to the states. However, fully abolishing the department still requires congressional approval.
In June of this year, the administration further shrank the Education Department by shifting civil rights enforcement and student privacy functions to the Justice Department, and special education oversight to Health and Human Services. Officials say the changes will reduce bureaucracy, but critics fear that fragmented oversight could weaken student protections, particularly for children with disabilities.
So, what's the takeaway here? The administration is pushing forward with its education agenda, and Democrats are pushing back. The proposed rules on private schools are just the latest flashpoint in a broader battle over the federal role in education. Whether these rules will survive legal challenges or congressional scrutiny remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the fight over America's schools is far from over.
