An illustration depicts President Donald Trump tearing down the Department of Education. Through the elimination of the federal ED and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion measures, CCSD students educational opportunities are put in jeopardy. “The shift in authority from the federal to the state level may lead to a significant reduction in funding, resulting in fewer resources for under-served communities with programs like free lunch at risk,” Illustration by Sylvia Robinson
The elimination of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and the federal Department of Education is detrimental to CCHS students.
In a sweeping move, President Donald Trump and his administration issued direct attacks on public education.
The cutbacks began on Jan. 20 when the Trump administration issued an executive order eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in all government institutions. A second executive order followed on March 20, removing the federal Department of Education (ED), returning all functions to the state level.
However, it doesn’t stop at the government level. According to the Associated Press, the Trump administration’s DEI directives prohibit race-based considerations in admissions, hiring, scholarships, student organizations and even curriculum content within public schools.
In addition, dismantling the ED shifts all responsibility for education to the state level, leading to a rollback of critical funding.
The funding cuts have already played out in educational institutions like Harvard University. On April 14, the Trump administration froze more than $2.2 billion of funding, grants and contracts in response to the university’s refusal to change DEI policies. Though Harvard University is a private institution, its high profile clash with the federal government could set a precedent for how similar policies are treated at other educational institutions across the country.
In a letter to students and faculty on the day of the funding cuts, Harvard’s president, Dr. Alan Garber, wrote, “The disruption of learning that has plagued campuses in recent years is unacceptable. It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change.”
The political actions of the Trump administration threaten to undo decades of progress in making education more accessible for marginalized communities, including those in the Clarke County School District.
According to the Census Bureau, 26.3% of Athens-Clarke County is below the poverty line, and 30.5% of the population belongs to a racial minority. Losing federal funding has a greater impact on these communities as they are more likely to depend on education social services like Title I programs, which are funded by the federal ED and provide financial assistance to schools with high percentages of students who come from low-income families.
The political actions of the Trump administration threaten to undo decades of progress.
The consequences of these policy shifts are playing out in other higher education institutions as well. For example, the University of Michigan eliminated its LEAD scholarship, which aimed to increase minority student enrollment. Additionally, the Georgia Institute of Technology got rid of its Multicultural Student Center, which previously served as a space for students of color to find community.
“It’s so important to give students who come from backgrounds that didn’t receive as much support or their families don’t have as much money as others a leg up so that they can have equity with other students who maybe had those advantages,” Georgia Institute of Technology freshman and Clarke Central High School 2024 graduate Katherine Queen said.
For schools across the country that rely on the ED for aid money, like CCHS and public universities, this has dire consequences.
“Federal funding goes to giving Pell grants like HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships, which helps students, but it also helps the school because a school can’t survive without diversity, and can’t survive without having those students,” Queen said.
The shift in authority from the federal to the state level may lead to a significant reduction in funding, resulting in fewer resources for under-served communities with programs like free lunch at risk. Despite these developments, there is still widespread uncertainty regarding how the changes will affect schools in the long term.
“(The) grants we get from the state, we may get the same amount of money, but we just don’t know yet,” CCHS Assistant Principal Everett Nealy said. “We haven’t gotten any guidance from the (Clarke County School District) as far as that goes.”
In the face of sweeping federal policy changes and a lack of clear state-level direction, school leaders, educators and families are left in a state of uncertainty, fighting to preserve the promise of equitable education for all.
