The Education Department is asking states to revamp how they allow students to transfer from schools deemed especially dangerous.

The Unsafe School Choice Option allows students the option to attend the school of their choice if their assigned school is defined as “persistently dangerous.” The Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 grants this provision under section 8532. 

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“The Trump-McMahon Department of Education is committed to ensuring all children can attend a safe school in which they can focus on mastering the reading and mathematics skills necessary for success in school and beyond,” Hayley Sanon, acting assistant secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, said in a statement. “In today’s guidance, we encourage states to build on the work they have done to maximize parent options for choosing the safest school setting for their children.”

The letter instructs states and local education agencies to work together to inform parents of their children’s school status. 

The Education Department also instructs states to make updates of what constitutes a school to be “persistently dangerous,” which can include frequent poor academic performances. To that end, the Trump administration is calling on state and school officials to reduce the timeframe it takes to dub a school “persistently dangerous,” regularly review and revise the state definition of a violent school, review the process for collecting school safety data, and provide multiple school choice options. 

During the 2021-2022 school year, no schools were reported as persistently dangerous, in spite of the Education Department’s Civil Rights Data Collection reporting 1.2 million violent offenses that same school year. 

During the 2023-2024 school year, a total of 25 schools were deemed persistently dangerous in five states. In one state alone, 15 schools were given the definition.

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“The Trump Administration is committed to ensuring parents have options for their children to attend a safe school where they can learn and thrive, which is a goal we all share,” the letter stated. “Parent outreach is crucial for using the unsafe school choice option. States and [Local Education Agencies] should work together to notify parents of their school’s persistently dangerous status and what options are available as a result.”

The Trump administration has sought to make school choice a top priority as Education Secretary Linda McMahon has advocated for Congress to pass the Educational Choice for Children Act, which would create tax credits to establish funds for school vouchers.