Federal funding has been restored to Idaho’s “community schools” after working to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from its programs, an issue President Donald Trump’s administration has continued to tackle since the American people voted him back into office.
The Idaho Department of Education said the federal grant money that had been paused was previously awarded to United Way of Treasure Valley, which has a partnership with the state’s “community schools.” It was intended to help 65 schools over the course of several years, Fox News reported on Friday.
The article continued:
The United Way of Treasure Valley was originally told last month that the federal government would be ending the grant early, citing concerns about language in the original document. This led to U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, writing a letter to the U.S. Department of Education on behalf of United Way of Treasure Valley for an appeal to the decision.
In its news release, the state’s education department said the U.S. Department of Education (ED) had “previously deemed the program ineligible for funding based on its perceived alignment with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)”. The decision would have frozen $30 million in funding.
In light of the reversal, Idaho’s Superintendent Debbie Critchfield said,
This decision affirms that Community Schools are both effective and fully aligned with federal and state law, and that they reflect the values Idaho families care about most—strong schools and strong families. I’m grateful to the U.S. Department of Education for engaging in a thorough review and for continuing to support this essential program.
In a statement to Fox regarding Idaho, a U.S. Department of Education representative explained:
We can confirm that the Department reinstated Idaho’s grant after they removed illegal and harmful DEI from their application that had been approved under the Biden Administration. This is a direct result of the Trump Administration evaluating every taxpayer dollar that is going out the door from ED. We are ensuring dollars are spent on meaningful learning, not divisive ideologies.
The Idaho Coalition for Community Schools’ website says, “Community Schools are neighborhood public schools where parents, educators, and community partners work together to expand the support available to families and create meaningful learning experiences for students.”
In December 2024, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed it found the U.S. Department of Education had spent $1 billion on promoting DEI in schools across the nation, Breitbart News reported at the time.
“These findings coincide with President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to address the woke ideology infused into the school system via DEI and the spread of Critical Race Theory (CRT),” the outlet said.
Indeed, officials in Trump’s Department of Education (ED) began eliminating DEI initiatives during the first week of his second term. Later, state education departments across America were warned to remove DEI policies or face consequences, according to Breitbart News.
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