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Board says it will review policies after U.S. Department of Education guidance on DEI language
Summary
A board member reported that the U.S. Department of Education sent guidance prompting Wichita Public Schools to review policies and website language related to diversity, equity and inclusion; district staff said they complied with the two-week turnaround as best they could and are continuing to seek clarification.
Under new business, a board member identified as Kelly said the district received a Feb. 14 letter from the U.S. Department of Education directing school districts to remove certain language and possibly discontinue practices related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The letter, she said, set a Feb. 28 deadline for the requested changes.
“We determined it was, we needed to comply with the DOE guidance as best we could, given the tight turnaround,” Kelly said. She told the board that after the Feb. 28 deadline the department provided additional information that made the initial letter unclear and that district staff spent “the last three days…reviewing the latest information to help determine the best path forward.”
The board’s statement to the public, read during the meeting, said the district is “committed to providing an impactful educational experience to every student” and that it will review policies identified by the Department of Education while seeking clarity from federal officials. The statement also noted that the letter warned noncompliance could risk federal funding the district receives.
No vote or formal policy change was taken at the meeting; district staff said they would continue reviewing federal guidance and would seek further direction from state and federal authorities before recommending policy changes to the board.
(Reporting note: summary is based on the board member’s remarks under the meeting’s New Business agenda item and the district statement read into the record.)
