Wisconsin Schools Have 10 Days To Kill DEI Programs Or Risk Losing Federal Funding
Federal order places Title I funding for low-income students at risk.
Riverwest Elementary School, 2765 N. Fratney St. File photo by Dave Reid.
The Trump administration is giving public K-12 schools 10 days to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs or be at risk of losing federal funding.
In a letter Thursday to state leaders across the country, the U.S. Department of Education said Title I funding would be threatened if schools failed to follow its interpretation of civil rights laws.
Title I is a federal program that provides funding to school districts with a high percentage of children from low-income families to help ensure all students meet academic standards.
This year, Wisconsin received approximately $216 million in Title I funds, according to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
About $82 million of that money went to Milwaukee Public Schools.
State Superintendent Jill Underly said students, educators and schools need support, not threats.
“The Department of Public Instruction is currently reviewing [the Department of Education’s] justification and authority to request sign off from Wisconsin schools on the federal agency’s political beliefs,” Underly said in a statement. “As we stated in February, we remain confident Wisconsin schools and the DPI are in full compliance with the law and remain committed to providing the best education possible for our students.”
On Feb. 14, the Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter giving educational institutions 14 days to eliminate diversity initiatives or risk losing federal funding.
At that time, DPI issued guidance to school districts encouraging a “measured and thoughtful approach, rather than immediate or reactionary responses to the federal government’s concerns.”
In February, the Green Bay school board voted to remove DEI language from several positions in fear of losing $40 million in federal funds.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has not clearly defined what the administration considers a violation of civil rights law. The February letter said institutions must “cease using race preferences and stereotypes as a factor in their admissions, hiring, promotion, scholarship.”
In a related document addressing frequently asked questions about how the administration would interpret Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the agency said: “Many schools have advanced discriminatory policies and practices under the banner of ‘DEI’ initiatives.”
The document went on to say that schools could engage in historical observances like Black History Month “so long as they do not engage in racial exclusion or discrimination.”
State Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, who serves on the Assembly Committee on Education, said any funding cuts to schools will directly harm families across the state, especially those who are in smaller and rural communities.
“It is truly cruel and inhumane to make the condition of federal funding pitting students against one another,” Hong said. “I am confident that the Department of Public Instruction is in full compliance of federal requirements to receive federal funds.”
While the federal government is only responsible for about 10 percent of money that goes to K-12 schools, Title I is one of the largest federal grants overseen by the Department of Education. In the current fiscal year, the federal government set aside more than $18.38 billion for Title I.
Nearly 90 percent of U.S. school districts benefit from the program.
“Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right,” Craig Trainor, the department’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement. “When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal antidiscrimination requirements. Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics.”
Editor’s note: NPR contributed to this report.
Wisconsin public schools have 10 days to remove DEI programs or risk federal funding was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
What an outrage! These book-banning, thought-control cretins are attempting to turn the clock back to the “good old (for white men) days of the 50’s. Herr Trainor’s pedigree includes stints working for Pam Bondi and delirious Jim Jordan. Nuff said. And they want to do it on the backs of our children.
does wisconsin have to cave to this children hating administration? what is so scary about dei??
Resist!!
The current administration is working on opening refugee centers in South Africa to bring persecuted Afrikaners to the US. (from the NYTimes, obviously “fake news”),
“Under Phase One of the program, the United States has deployed multiple teams to convert commercial office space in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, into ad hoc refugee centers, according to the documents. The teams are studying more than 8,200 requests expressing interest in resettling to the United States and have already identified 100 Afrikaners who could be approved for refugee status. The government officials have been directed to focus particularly on screening white Afrikaner farmers”.
The current US President is kind of a racist isn’t he.
“Kind of…”?!!
These vicious attacks on DEI and other efforts to remove the achievements of minorities and women at the Pentagon tell us conclusively that this is an administration of racists for racists.
The Trump administration has not defined what aspect of DEI they feel is unlawful. Are special programs for disabled students that get them involved in mainstream employment wrong? What about initiatives that schools might use to employ handicapped adults? What is a school system gives preferences to disabled veterans on hiring? All of this gets back to some Trump official saying that it makes some persons uncomfortable or deprives them of employment opportunities. DEI is just one more attempt to undermine public education. How about putting DEI requirement under publicly funded choice schools?
Mingus – a number of Trump admin members have indicated they thing educating the disabled is a waste of money.