On Feb. 15, the United States federal government stated in a press release that the Department of Education “has taken action to eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives” in compliance with President Donald Trump’s recent actions to remove DEI-related language and material from all federal agencies. On April 3, state education commissioners were informed by the Department of Education that federal funding is at risk of being withdrawn from K-12 schools if they do not remove DEI initiatives.
The PAUSD Promise is defined as “a testament to our [the Palo Alto Unified School District’s] dedication to balance organizational goals, student outcomes, and innovative practices with a clear and purposeful vision,” according to the PAUSD’s website. PAUSD sees DEI as a core part of the Promise.
Verde agrees. DEI is an essential part of the Palo Alto High School community, as it acknowledges and embraces people from all different backgrounds, allowing for equal opportunity. In order to support everyone, it is necessary to recognize and adapt to these differences.
Trump has recently threatened to cut funding for schools all across the nation that continue to support DEI initiatives. On a local level, Superintendent Don Austin said he believes that PAUSD will likely not be directly impacted, and that PAUSD does not plan to cut DEI from its curriculum.
“What we’ve been told is that there won’t be anything at the local level,” Austin said. “If there is anything that comes toward this anti-DEI movement, it would be cases against the State of California, not individual local education agencies.”
Verde applauds PAUSD for its steadfast commitment to DEI in the face of funding cuts.
“I think as far as a district is concerned, lots of places say it [DEI] is lip service,” Austin said. “I think we really, for the most part, walk the walk here.”
Out of the district’s $350 million annual budget, just over 1% comes from the federal government. According to Austin, PAUSD gets about $4 million from the federal government.
This money is used for a variety of causes, such as funding special education programs and supporting low-income families. According to the PAUSD website, low-income families can apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is funded by the federal government, to receive benefits.
“Students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals may qualify for individual benefits such as discounts and/or waivers in college application fee, AP testing fee, internet services, summer programs, access to higher education scholarships, afterschool club scholarships, holiday gifts and many other learning and enrichment opportunities,” the website stated.
Austin said he does not believe that PAUSD will be greatly affected by the funding cuts, since the majority of the PAUSD’s budget does not come from federal funding.
“Right now, it [a possible funding cut] is not a place that I think people need to panic about,” Austin said. “We’re just in a unique position where we could make it [the district budget] whole on our own. There’s really nothing that could happen that concerns me financially.”
Lana Conaway, the assistant superintendent of equity and student affairs, broke down the district’s view on DEI.
“I believe, as a district, we have an obligation — no matter what an executive order says,” Conaway said. “We have an obligation to serve our students in the best way that we can.”
This sentiment is especially important in schools.
“What we realize is that, within society, there are embedded barriers, and because those embedded barriers are in the society, they also show up in schools,” Conaway said. “So the idea is to make sure that we recognize those differences, to recognize those disparities, so that we can effectively respond to them in an educational setting.”
According to Conaway, one way PAUSD promotes DEI is through the Voluntary Transfer Program. Also known as the VTP, this program gives students from the Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto the opportunity to attend Palo Alto schools.
“If we were in another district that may not be community-funded, that [defunding of VTP] might be something that would be addressed,” said Conaway. “It could be that there’s legislation that we no longer have those types of programs that support our historically marginalized youth, and it could go away.”
Verde believes PAUSD should continue to uphold its dedication to DEI. Diversity, equity and inclusion are not just buzzwords, but fundamental aspects of what our district values.