TEMPE, AZ — A Valley school district could face a loss of $1.5 million in federal funding due to language related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in a proposed policy, according to Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne.
Horne announced Friday that the Kyrene School District may become ineligible for continued federal support unless it signs a pledge by April 24 affirming it does not support DEI initiatives — a new requirement stemming from federal directives under the Trump administration’s push to eliminate DEI policies in education and government institutions.
Horne said the federal government has specifically required recipients to sign a statement confirming they do not support DEI in order to continue receiving funding.
The controversy centers around a staff social-emotional wellness policy that contains references to DEI. However, Kyrene officials emphasized that the policy is still in the proposal stage and has not been formally adopted. Kyrene Governing Board President Kevin Walsh clarified that no policy has been adopted yet and that, if the policy were to move forward, it would need to be done at a public meeting at a later date.
According to Horne, Arizona school districts were recently notified through the state’s grants management system that they must commit to eliminating DEI language to maintain federal funding. He said he supports the mandate because he believes DEI policies focus on group stereotypes rather than individual merit, which he sees as fundamentally at odds with American values. He stated that he is committed to opposing DEI and believes the federal government is doing the same.
Kyrene leaders said they were surprised by Horne’s announcement, noting that he had not contacted the district either formally or informally. Walsh expressed disappointment that the superintendent had not reached out to the district before making the matter public.
Kyrene Superintendent Laura Toenjes released a statement in response, referencing the “Kyrene Promise” — the district’s commitment to providing welcoming and inclusive learning environments. She stated that all Kyrene policies, including those related to inclusion and social-emotional wellness, comply with both state and federal laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Walsh voiced full support for Toenjes’ statement and emphasized that anyone concerned about DEI, equity, or critical race theory should look at the district’s actual policies to better understand what the Kyrene School District is doing.
