New federal mandate forces US schools to drop DEI policies or lose aid
The Brief
The White House has issued a directive requiring schools to certify they are not implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies to maintain federal education funding.
Washington Superintendent Chris Reykdal is reviewing the legality of the directive, defending DEI initiatives as aligning with state values and supporting critical programs.
The directive follows a Supreme Court ruling and could lead to funding loss and penalties for noncompliance, affecting districts differently based on their reliance on federal aid.
The White House is now requiring schools across the country to 'certify' they are no longer implementing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies or risk losing federal education funding.
In a directive issued by the U.S. Department of Education, school districts were warned that continued use of DEI frameworks could be in violation of federal law. The move comes as part of a broader push from the Trump administration, which argues that federal funding is a privilege, not a right.
What they're saying
Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal says his office is reviewing the legality of the directive before providing guidance to school districts.
"They're trying to intimidate us into that which we will not be intimidated," Reykdal said in a message he shared in February, responding to the department's warning.
Reykdal defended DEI initiatives, saying they align with Washington's values and help expand opportunity.
"Most of us, if you really look into the mirror, would say diversity is a good thing. Equity is an important way we live our lives to create more opportunity and inclusion is where it starts," Reykdal said.
The directive follows a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which found that race cannot be used negatively or as a stereotype in admissions. The decision stated, "Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it."
The new certification schools must sign reaffirms this ruling and outlines potential consequences for noncompliance.
"But DEI is not a harmful thing, it's a good thing," Reykdal said. "We cannot allow the federal government to take money away from the state of Washington on a right that is clearly in the states and clearly in our local governments and in our communities."
About 7% of Washington's K–12 education budget comes from federal sources. Reykdal said that while the number isn't massive, it supports critical programs.
"Seven percent is not small, but it's also really, really doable if they'll protect the real key civil rights elements - what we call Title I for high poverty communities, meals for kids, and support for students with disabilities," Reykdal said.
According to the Superintendent, those three areas comprise nearly all the state's federal funding for schools.
The impact, however, varies by district. Districts like Tahoma, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Bellevue and Monroe receive only a few hundred dollars per student in federal aid. Seattle Public Schools received just over $1,100 per student last year.
On the other hand, small rural districts are far more reliant on federal dollars. The Nespelem School District received more than $23,000 per student. Keller, Queets-Clearwater, Cape Flattery and Mount Adams each received between $10,000 and $15,000 per student.
With the state facing a $12 billion budget shortfall, and many districts asking for more equitable funding, the question lingers on whether schools can afford to reject the directive outright.
"As long as the federal government doesn't change their legal stance interpretations from the U.S. Department of Education, they're not going to change us," Reykdal said.
The Department of Education said schools that fail to comply could lose future funding, be sued to recover past grants, and face thousands of dollars in penalties for each violation.
The mandate makes clear that these conditions are not new. The certification states that compliance with Title VI "has been in force and effect for decades" and is a condition that schools "literally sign contracts" to uphold when accepting federal aid.
FOX 13 has reached out to multiple Washington school districts for comment and is awaiting their responses.
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