​The U.S. Department of Education (ED) recently issued a new proposed priority for upcoming discretionary grant programs that would align ED discretionary grant programs with the Trump Administration’s Opportunity Zones initiative, aimed at promoting economic development and job creation in distressed communities. Designated by governors and approved by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the zones are in high-poverty areas (or border high-poverty areas) in rural, urban, or suburban census tracts. ED invites comments on the proposed priority Spurring Investment in Qualified Opportunity Zones, which are due August 28, 2019 and can be submitted at www.regulations.gov. More information can be found in the Federal Register notice.