EDUCATION ACTION ALLIANCE SUPPORTS KYRENE SCHOOL DISTRICT’S DEI STANCE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2025

Phone: 602-341-5543

Email: media@educationactionalliance.org

Phoenix, Arizona – In response to Superintendent Tom Horne’s ongoing push for districts to sign a baseless attestation pledging to end all DEI activities, Education Action Alliance supports Kyrene School District’s refusal to comply with a requirement that lacks legal standing and has been paused by federal courts. Kyrene’s decision affirms a commitment to all students’ academic and personal development, rooted in law and best practice.

"Kyrene School District is grateful there is no longer an unfounded threat to next year’s federal funding. As shared last week, Kyrene held off submitting the certification after a federal court ruling paused the requirement. The district decided to await guidance from the courts or the U.S. Department of Education.

"That clarity has now come. The U.S. Department of Education is no longer requiring the certification and has directed states to stand down. It’s unclear why the Arizona Department of Education would list districts as compliant or non-compliant based on paperwork that is no longer even required.

"As Kyrene has repeatedly stated (and previously certified in writing for Federal grants), all Kyrene policies and practices—including policies around equity, inclusion and social-emotional wellness—are fully compliant with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964."

Federal judges in three separate jurisdictions about 10 days ago issued injunctions barring the withholding of federal funds to schools on the basis of the U.S. Department of Education's directive about policies involving diversity, equity and inclusivity, or DEI. Despite these rulings, Superintendent Horne continues to insist that districts sign attestations pledging to end all DEI activities.

It cannot be overstated that these orders have been temporarily stopped in court, and Superintendent Horne said himself that his home office advised him to stand down in terms of enforcement actions. Federal judges, in Maryland, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., ruled Thursday that the Trump administration had overstepped when it ordered the nation's schools to stop all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs as well as classroom teaching the administration might consider discriminatory. For the moment, this means the U.S. Department of Education cannot make good on its threat to punish noncompliant districts by withholding vital federal funding, including dollars that help K-12 schools serve low-income students and children with disabilities.

Education Action Alliance envisions a world where every student feels safe, secure, and affirmed at school. Until this vision is a reality, we are in solidarity with Kyrene and their policies that acknowledge the whole student – psychological, emotional, social – and are committed to affirming every student along their academic journey. 

Email us at info@educationactionalliance.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram - @educationactionalliance.

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Education Action Alliance (formerly the GLSEN Arizona Chapter) envisions healthy school communities free from discrimination where students, families, educators, and neighbors can thrive and succeed with joy, regardless of where you live or who you are. We work to dismantle barriers and drive systemic change in education by engaging in public advocacy and activating school community members through education and collective action.