Introduction to Palm Beach County Schools’ Decision

The Palm Beach County School Board is expected to take emergency action on Wednesday to rid diversity, equity and inclusion efforts from its policies, worried that $300 million in federal funding could be in jeopardy.

The DEI-related changes would remove references to affirmative action in hiring, minority preference in vendor selection, racial balance in student assignments and racial diversity on some district committees, among other changes.

Background on the Issue

School districts received letters this month from the Florida Department of Education, saying the school districts had until April 18 to confirm they were complying with orders from the federal Department of Education related to diversity and race.
The U.S. Department of Education has said districts that fail to comply could lose federal funding. For Palm Beach County schools, that’s about $300 million, officials said.

Compliance and Policy Changes

Superintendent Michael Burke signed the form assuring compliance last week, a district spokesman said. The School Board plans to formally approve the changes at an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
Typically, policy changes take months and several meetings to approve, but quick changes are allowed if there is an “imminent danger to the health, safety, and welfare posed to the public,” according to school district documents.
“The potential loss of approximately $300 million in federal funding would have an immediate and detrimental impact to the school district’s budget and its ability to support student education, operate schools, pay employee salaries, and maintain essential services,” the district wrote in the descriptions of the policy changes.

Comparison with Broward Schools

Broward schools received the same letters from the state and federal government but aren’t taking the same approach. The school district receives more than $400 million in federal dollars, according to its budget.
“Based on the information provided by the state, we don’t plan on making any emergency changes to our policies,” Broward schools spokesman John Sullivan said. “As part of our standard process, we continuously update our policies to ensure they align with new laws and regulations.”

Federal Rules and Regulations

The U.S. Department of Education first warned school districts, colleges and universities in February that they must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs that receive federal financial assistance. The Trump administration has generally viewed diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a violation of this law.
The federal rules also say educational institutions must comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University, which struck down race-based affirmative action programs in student admissions.

Proposed Policy Changes

One of the policies being removed for Palm Beach County refers to a “majority to minority transfer rule” in student assignments.
This policy, passed decades ago in the wake of desegregation orders, allowed white students to be voluntarily bused to a mostly minority school, and vice versa.
The school district hadn’t actually been doing this for years, School Board Board Chairwoman Karen Brill told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“Several of our policies have not been in practice, but they also have not been updated,” Brill said.

Specific Policy Changes

Among the other proposed changes for Palm Beach County school policies:
— The district’s non-discrimination policy is removing a sentence saying, “The Superintendent shall promulgate directives which will provide for affirmative efforts on the part of the district to recruit minority/women businesses to participate in the bid process.”
— An equal opportunity employment statement will keep in that the district will “assure the recruitment, employment, training, promotion and retention of qualified staff without discrimination, but remove a clause that says “while making efforts to provide diversity based on race, ethnicity and gender.”
— A policy on extracurricular activities removes a sentence saying, “Principals shall select faculty advisors, directors, coaches, sponsors, and staff who are diverse in racial, ethnic, and gender composition.”
— The School Board is repealing a policy on diversity in business practices, aimed to assist minority and women-owned businesses. It will be replaced with a policy focusing on recruiting local small businesses.
— The district is removing a portion of the Audit Committee policy encouraging School Board members to “take into consideration representation from various racial and ethnic groups.”

Conclusion

The Palm Beach County School Board’s decision to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts from its policies is a significant step in response to federal funding concerns. The changes aim to comply with federal rules and regulations, avoiding a potential loss of $300 million in funding. While the decision may have implications for the district’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, it underscores the importance of adhering to federal guidelines.

FAQs

Q: Why is the Palm Beach County School Board removing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts from its policies?
A: The school board is taking this action to comply with federal rules and regulations, specifically to avoid losing $300 million in federal funding.
Q: What policies are being changed or removed?
A: The changes include removing references to affirmative action in hiring, minority preference in vendor selection, and racial diversity on some district committees, among others.
Q: How do these changes affect Broward schools?
A: Broward schools received the same letters from the state and federal government but are not taking the same approach, instead opting to continuously update their policies to align with new laws and regulations.
Q: What is the timeline for these policy changes?
A: The School Board plans to formally approve the changes at an emergency meeting on Wednesday, with a workshop at 2 p.m. and a regular board meeting at 5 p.m. the same day.