The Kyrene school district in Phoenix is poised to forfeit more than $1.5 million in federal funds after its governing board voted to defy federal guidance on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). At its meeting last Tuesday, the Kyrene board unanimously adopted a policy with DEI commitments, contravening recent U.S. Department of Education advisements. According to Arizona's state schools chief, Tom Horne, speaking to the Arizona Department of Education, this move puts not just Kyrene but all Arizona districts and charters on notice regarding the serious implications of ignoring federal DEI guidance.
Policy 1-204 Equal Opportunity - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion outlines Kyrene’s commitment to value, respect, and celebrate diversity in the workplace, states the controversial policy. Horne has made clear that any school not in bare conformity with the federal DEI guidance will lose its funding. The Kyrene school district expected to see over $1.5 million from the federal budget, designated for enhancing the education for low-income students and for providing teacher training, among other objectives. Horne outlined his perspective: "Federal law and the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution are clear that no person shall be discriminated because of race, skin color or ethnicity, and this guidance aligns completely with my philosophy,” he conveyed in an announcement obtained by the Arizona Department of Education.
The U.S. Department of Education's recent nation-wide notification mandates educational institutions to cease utilizing "race preferences and stereotypes as a factor in their admissions, hiring, promotion, scholarship, prizes, administrative support, sanctions, discipline, and other programs and activities." Arizona’s education authorities have relayed this requirement to schools, setting a deadline next Thursday for districts and charters to certify compliance or to see funding withheld after close of business that day. Horne himself certified the Arizona Department of Education’s adherence to the guidelines.
In drawing a stark ideological contrast, Horne concluded, "The most interesting philosophical divide in our country right now is between those like me who believe in individual merit, and those who want to substitute racial entitlement. DEI is all about racial entitlement." Horne argues that DEI programs, rather than fostering hard work and creativity, promote what he terms "racial discrimination." Without the cornerstone of individual merit, Horne warned that America risks mediocrity and ceding global dominance to nations like China, according to his statements echoed by the Arizona Department of Education.
