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Board approves rewrite of procurement policy despite public objections over equity changes
Summary
The board approved a final reading that replaces elements of the district’s diversity and inclusion procurement policy with a certified business enterprise program and stricter reliance on new disparity studies; advocates warned it narrows the district’s tools to address contracting disparities.
The Miami‑Dade County School Board on Tuesday approved a final reading that replaces longstanding diversity, equity and inclusion procurement provisions with a new certified small/micro/minority/women/veteran business enterprise framework and amendments to the district’s commercial non‑discrimination policy.
Community advocates and local nonprofit speakers told the board the rewrite removes contract‑specific goals, transparency reports and oversight tools that previously helped track participation by minority‑ and women‑owned firms. "Without tracking or accountability, there is no way to measure whether progress is being made or if it's being reversed," said a representative from Prism, a youth‑led advocacy group, during the public comment portion.
General counsel and staff briefed the board on recent federal and circuit court decisions affecting race‑ and gender‑conscious contracting programs and noted that the district’s prior disparity study has expired. The attorney explained that targeted, race‑ or gender‑conscious remedies generally require a contemporaneous factual predicate (a disparity study) to support their legal basis; the draft policy therefore limits such tools unless a new study is completed.
Board members expressed a range of views. Board Member Luisa Santos opposed the final package on those grounds, recording the lone 'nay' on the final vote; other members said staff had crafted language to comply with current law while preserving programs that help small local businesses.
The vote was taken after a committee process and public testimony. Several board members signaled support for commissioning a new disparity study and suggested staff and board attorneys return with options for how to proceed if new factual findings justify additional remedies.
