When President Donald Trump attacks programs of diversity, justice and integration and threatens to dismantle funds from schools that promote “discriminating against the ideology of own capital”, the school district in the Phoenixville region analyzes everything from his curriculum to non -school classes to see what the orders of novel administration may seem.
But that didn’t make any changes. “The way we fight is what we do not do,” said Scott Overland, president of the board of Phoenixville School. Trump tries to “intimidate us to compliance,” said Overland, Democrat. “We have to show him that he is wrong.”
Universities wipe the diversity initiatives from websites and renovate policies because Trump stops its federal funds And he strives to dismantle Dei’s efforts. But signs of compliance are less evident in K-12 schools in Philadelphia-some school leaders say that they continue normal.
This is partly because many were less in federal money: unlike universities, public schools are largely supported by local and state taxes. Some local officials also noticed that they are moving in conflicts between Trump’s orders and state law, including existing anti -discrimination principles in Pennsylvania.
The Trump administration began investigating at least two school districts other than Pennsylvania, including the school district at Ithaca City in New YorkWhen the complaint claimed that the district event for colorful students “reflected the systemic discrimination of white students.”
Study also public schools in Denver to transform the girls’ bathroom into a non -final bathroom – although this district did not withdraw from politicians confirming students questioning their sexual identity, said Jeffrey Sultanik, a lawyer of many school districts in Pennsylvania.
“So far, few public schools in Pennsylvania seem to hurry to change your policy and practice,” said Sultanik. He noticed, however, that there is “increased concern” about the efforts made by the Trump administration – entitled “End Dei” – inviting people to submit online complaints to specific schools.
“I suspect that many K-12 districts in Pennsylvania are trying to quietly conduct their activities without paying too much attention to the federal government algorithm, which can lead to an investigation, said Sultanik.
How schools react in the field of Philly
Schools also become uncertainty about what exactly violated Trump’s orders. In the questioning process February letter “Dear colleague” Posted by the Office for Civil Rights of the US Education Department, which warned schools against discrimination based on the race, the American Federation of Teachers and American Sociological Association said that the letter was “wide, unclear and imprecise”, without defining Dei programs except for describing them as discriminatory.
“For example, it is not clear which of the following activities of the OCR will consider violating the letter”, ” Claim He said, scenarios with letters, including “conducting a class discussion on the history of slavery in America or Japanese internment during World War II”, telling students that they cannot utilize a racial insult “and why other students can consider as painful”, and “maintaining a school mission built around achieving excellence and equality.”
In Phoenixville Overland, he said that the district conducts “risk analysis” in order to determine “everything we have, which can be interpreted” as a violation of Trump’s orders. He did not comment on what programs may belong to this category: “I do not want to give them an easy list of things to do.”
Only some school districts in Philadelphia have formal initiatives or Dei programs. Some districts have already reduced their efforts, including conservative slack over the critical theory of breeds – a legal framework describing racism as systemically embedded in institutions – a few years earlier.
In the school district of Tredyffrin/Easttown, officials said that they stopped working in 2023 with Pacific Education found himself under the fire of conservative parents to discuss the critical theory of breeds.
But The district’s website says He still provides “culturally and anti -racist teaching program and instruction on all levels of class”, and, among others, “eliminating systemic barriers that result in racial differences”.
“From January 20, 2025, there were no substantive changes in the scope of activities in the scope of Tesd capital principles,” said the president of the board, Todd Kantorcykk. While the recent orders and executive guidelines are “an evolving situation,” said Kantorcykk: “We do not think that the district’s federal funds are threatened due to the implementation of any district program.”
The Lower Merion school district – which employs the Director for Diversity, Equality and Integration, offers a group of racial affinity for students and teaches lesson in cultural competence – did not apply specifically whether he introduced any changes in his programs, but indicated this Lutia statement Answering executive orders.
“We stand and intend to maintain our policies, which have been approved and changed over time by our locally selected council of school directors, and which reflect the values of our community,” said Superintendent and the Board of the School of District in our schools. “
»Read more: The lower Merion conducted efforts to the racial equality in the 1990s, but its difference in achievements only expanded.
Some field schools also do not withdraw from policies supporting transgender students, despite the orders of Trump rejecting “sex ideology” and excluding transgender students before playing in girls’ sports teams. The colonial school district stood at a transgender athlete, facing the lawsuit about his policy, while the school district in Philadelphia said that it would still allow transgender students to play in sports teams matching their sexual identity.
“Schools move on many unknown territory,” said Erica Hermans, president of the board of Spring-Ford Area. In “unstable times” she said: “I think it is critical not to overdo it.”
Spring-Ford has The policy of justice, diversity and integration This requires every student to access the curriculum and support program, “even if it means differentiation of resources allocation” as well as a review of district programs and professional development “to ensure the promotion of racial capital”.
Hermans, Democrat Whoever said that he only talked about himself as the president of the board, she said that he was “firm in my commitment” in Dei.
“We focus on switching on and diversity, they will not change,” she said, adding that the spring Ford “does not cause any wide, broad changes in everything we provide.”
Fears of federal financing
While federal financing is a greater share of the poorer budgets of school districts – in Philadelphia, about 10% – wealthy districts are less dependent. Hermans said that Spring-Ford received $ 1.4 million for federal financing last year, and less than 1% of the district budget.
Despite this, “it is critical not to underestimate this,” Hermans said, adding that the money includes the necessary student services and reduce the tax burden of residents.
In Phoenixville, federal money constitutes just over 1% of the district budget. Overland, president of the school board, said that taking into account the limited relationship, the district is obliged to remain for its values.
In addition to the transfer of “Friendly Schools” resolutions in February, which confirmed the protection of transgender students, immigrants and disabled students, the management of Phoenixville announced that it would create “Capital for Task Team and Turning.” He also browses whether he has to create a full-time position for his capital coordinator-now a teacher who plays this role as an additional duty.
While the management board was initially “advised to be still and not to pay attention”, Overland said that he wanted to be “proactive” – and also provide cover to other school districts afraid of the repercussion.
“We are now in a position in which we can get up and push on them,” said Overland. He said that he would even support Trump’s defense “if we have to immerse ourselves in our rainfall or reserves to avoid undergoing threats.”
