Board votes to sign Title VI compliance certification after legal review despite national uncertainty

The John Stark Regional School District board voted to sign an additional Title VI compliance certification requested by the U.S. Department of Education and transmitted via the New Hampshire Department of Education, after consulting district counsel and weighing the document’s unclear definitions.

District staff told the board the requested certification cites the Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and asks districts to confirm they are not operating prohibited admissions or DEI programs. Staff and counsel said the document’s language lacks clarity about which K–12 activities would fall under the described restrictions; counsel advised that typical K–12 practices are unlikely to violate the certification.

“Essentially, the place we’re at is it’s very unlikely we’re violating this, whether it’s poorly defined or not,” a district administrator said after consulting legal counsel. Board members expressed concern about the lack of definition but noted that failing to sign could put federal funding at risk.

A motion “to sign the Title VI compliance certification just prior to the deadline” was moved and seconded; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Board members said they would monitor any emergency court proceedings and return to the issue if further legal clarity emerges.

Provenance: - topicintro: {"block_id":"2492.5051","local_start":0,"local_end":45,"evidence_excerpt":"Yes. So last week, we we were, sent an email from through the New Hampshire State, Department of Education, from the US Department of Education, asking us to sign an additional title, 6 compliance certification."} - topfinish: {"block_id":"2862.795","local_start":0,"local_end":40,"evidence_excerpt":"I'll I'll move that we sign the title 6 compliance certification at sort of just prior to the deadline to submit it. I'll second that... All in favor? Aye."}