1w ago

Education dept. warns schools: eliminate DEI programs or lose funding

www.npr.org /2025/04/03/nx-s1-5350978/trump-administration-warns-schools-about-dei-programs

Summary

U.S. Education Department threatens to withhold Title I funds from K-12 schools if they continue DEI programs that it views as discriminatory.

The agency insists that civil rights laws prohibit using race as a factor in education, requiring state officials to certify compliance within 10 days.

The warning affects schools reliant on over $18.38 billion in Title I funding, impacting nearly 90% of U.S. districts and low-income communities.

Critics, including the American Federation of Teachers, call the move political bullying, while some leaders support stricter federal oversight for fund usage.

7 comments

You're taking their funding either way though.

they want to use the hard "R" in public again so bad they are drooling.

Wish we would eliminate billionaires instead. Fastest way to make improvements in this world.

Just want to throw this out there for context.
In the urban districts I used to work for, Title I funding amounted to $5,000 per child per year.
So a small, rural district of say 1000 students would be looking at funding cuts in the $5,000,000 range. Your average urban district (15,000 kids or so)? You're looking at a funding cut of $75 million.
This isn't a case of losing some funding and having to lay off a couple of teachers and cancel the after-school art club. This is literally an amount of funding that determines whether a district functions at all. Expect many school districts to bend the knee even if only out of self-preservation and the fear that losing that much funding would lead to even worse outcomes.

I have still yet to hear a valid argument against DEI that was not racist and or mysognistic. All of the talking points against it is fabricated boogeyman stories without any factual evidence supporting it.

They should revolt and opt to lose funding. If every school does that it's not tenable
- They should revolt and opt to lose funding. If every school does that it’s not tenable
  Just want to point out my comment above in response to this. This isn't a situation like the universities where they have billions in endowments that can make up for the loss of funding. Title I funding is about $5000 per student per year. Those schools don't receive that money, those schools just close.
  I'm not saying I like the situation. I'm just saying that what your suggesting is even less tenable to most communities.

7 comments