The Kansas State Department of Education is leaving decision-making on the handling of diversity, equity and inclusion content in the hands of local school officials — as states face a threat of federal funding cuts over the materials. 

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a letter on Feb. 14 demanding that state education departments ensure that all DEI programming is removed from school district curriculums  — and warning that failure to comply with the directive by Feb. 28 could bring about cuts in federal funding. Federal aid accounts for a national average of approximately 14% of all public school funding. 

A spokesperson for KSDE said on Monday that the agency was still reviewing the letter and was not prepared to comment, but ultimately decided that guidance specifically tailored to the directive was not warranted. 

“We don’t intend to issue a response to the ‘Dear Colleague letter,’” Denise Kahler, a spokesperson for KSDE, said of the demand letter. “We’ve always advised districts to follow all state and federal laws and this letter does not change that guidance.”

While both KSDE and the Kansas State Board of Education have long emphasized the value of local control, district leaders are fretting over the funding threat. 

Lawrence school board member Ronald “G.R.” Gordon-Ross told State Affairs on Wednesday that the district was hopeful it would receive guidance from either KSDE or the Kansas Association of School Boards on the best approach for proceeding with its decision-making on DEI content. Lawrence school district is a leader among the state’s public school districts in the promotion of DEI programming, including diversity training sessions for faculty and staff.

“We’re waiting on guidance from someone other than us to make the decision,” Gordon-Ross said. “That’s probably where a lot of people are, not knowing what to do.”

  Have questions? Contact Matt Resnick at mresnick@stateaffairs.com or on X @Matt_Resnick.