A national nonprofit that works to root out what it calls liberal “indoctrination” at schools and colleges has accused Portland Public Schools of “flagrant racial preferencing” in its drive to create a Center for Black Student Excellence.

The nonprofit, Defending Education, asked the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights division this week to investigate the school district’s decision to buy a $16 million building and spend up to $25 million to convert it into a space where nonprofit organizations can provide enrichment programming aimed at improving outcomes for Black students.

The complaint, first reported by Willamette Week, details the district’s push to center Black students and families and tailor programming at the center to match their cultural, social and educational needs. District officials counter that the center’s services will be available to children of all racial backgrounds.

“As of today, Portland Public Schools has not received any communication from the U.S. Department of Education concerning the complaint,” communications director Candice Grose wrote in a statement. “Should we receive any correspondence, we will review it thoroughly and respond in accordance with our commitment to equity and compliance with federal guidelines.”

The center, she added, “represents our ongoing commitment to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, not just Black students, to feel seen, valued and heard. While it was born from a need to address long-standing inequities that have impacted Black learners, its purpose is part of our larger mission to ensure equity and excellence for every student in the district.”

It’s unclear how long it will take the U.S Department of Education to review the complaint. The agency’s press office didn’t immediately return a request for comment Friday.

The department opened a separate civil rights investigation into Oregon’s largest school district in March based on the district’s decision to allow a transgender girl to participate on her high school’s track team. No decisions have been announced in that case. The district submitted a response to the federal agency last spring but has not heard anything in return, districty communications chief Candice Grose said.

The Center for Black Student Excellence, which is projected to open in two to three years in the section of North Portland that was once home to Oregon’s thriving Black community, is designed to offer after-school tutoring, summer camps and other enriching experiences beyond the school day. District officials have said they plan to invite Black-led nonprofits to offer such services.

District voters approved creation of the center as part of a $1.2 billion 2020 school construction bond that set aside $60 million to cover its capital costs.

The federal department is providing Portland Public Schools about $70 million of the district’s roughly $2 billion budget this school year.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Education again signaled its strong stance against programs that aim to address historic underperformance by student groups that have faced discrimination in U.S. schools and colleges. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon hailed her agency’s moves to discontinue grants designated for Hispanic serving colleges as well as other higher education grants geared toward improving the performance of students of color. Such programs are often referred to as promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI.

“This is another concrete step from the Trump Administration to put a stop to DEI in government and ensure taxpayer dollars support programs that advance merit and fairness in all aspects of Americans lives,” McMahon said in a statement.