by Jeroslyn JoVonn
April 29, 2025
One faculty district in Kentucky is refusing to signal the Division of Schooling’s letter citing DEI packages as unlawful.
A college district in Kentucky is jeopardizing its federal funding by defying the Division of Schooling’s Trump-directed initiative to acknowledge DEI insurance policies as unlawful.
On April 22, Jefferson County Public Faculties (JCPS) Superintendent Marty Pollio despatched a letter to the U.S. Division of Schooling explaining the district’s choice to reject a civil rights compliance type aimed toward eradicating DEI packages from faculties, WHAS 11 reviews. As an alternative of signing the DOE’s letter, Pollio signed and submitted his personal letter, attaching the declaration he made in August 2024, which assured the U.S. DOE that the district complies with federal legislation.
Now, a faculty principal within the district is voicing native considerations about how the refusal may influence future funding for Jefferson County faculties, particularly his personal, which serves a pupil physique that depends closely on extra assist.
“Completely, we’re involved, and we hope that issues keep the best way they’re,” Johnsontown Street Elementary College Principal Stephen Howard mentioned.
“We have now plenty of college students with particular wants. We have now a really numerous inhabitants. (We’re) additionally a faculty that could be a excessive share of free and diminished lunch, so we have now plenty of poverty and we’d like plenty of help to make sure that each pupil will get every thing they want and deserve.”
Pollio’s letter was a response to a DOE directive issued earlier this month, which warned that sustaining DEI initiatives may jeopardize federal funding and set off authorized motion from the U.S. Division of Justice. Together with his refusal, district staffers are anxiously watching to see how the DOE responds.
“It offers a stage of fear to academics and workers, in addition to directors, as a result of we simply don’t know what may occur and the impacts,” Howard mentioned. “What may very well be taken away or what may very well be expanded?”
Including to the stress on JCPS faculties, Jefferson County Board of Schooling member Linda Duncan confirmed the district is already dealing with a $100 million native funds minimize as COVID-19 aid funds dry up.
“We added some nice issues throughout COVID – nurses, psychological well being counselors, large police division, weapons detection programs, extra nice issues… Now we should resolve what we will minimize since we’re all the way down to our personal cash,” she mentioned.
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