The Trump administration threatened Thursday to withhold federal Title 1 funds from public schools across the country unless state officials can prove that programs promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion have not been eliminated.
The New York Times reports that the Department of Education has sent a memo to the top officials in public education to threaten them with the loss of funding. This money is given to districts where there are high numbers of low-income students.
The memo came with a letter of certification that officials from the state and localities were required to sign within 10 days.
In a Thursday statement, Craig Trainor said that federal financial assistance was a privilege and not a right. When state education commissioners accept funds from the federal government, they agree to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws.
However, the administration has not specified which programs it considers to violate civil rights laws.
Linda McMahon, Secretary of Education, agreed at her confirmation hearing held in February that schools could celebrate the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but she was “not sure” if classes on Black History were part of the agenda set by President Donald Trump.
Education Department officials have said that a school’s policy assessment depends on the “facts and circumstances” of each case. They also stated that programs that acknowledge historical events or contributions are not in violation of the law if they do not “engage in racial discrimination or exclusion.”
However, schools must also consider whether their program creates an environment that is hostile or discourages people of all races to participate.
Pew Research Foundation reports that the federal government provides about 8% for local school funding. However, the amount districts receive depends on their income level. Mississippi receives about 23% of its school funding from Washington, while New York only gets 7%.
