Editorial: Olympian staff supports DEI programs

In an effort to stop schools from promoting “radical, anti-American ideologies,” President Donald Trump issued an executive order, “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” that cuts federal funding to schools that support “gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology.” It is unclear whether the Trump administration can even cut such funds, and it will likely face extensive legal challenges and delays. In spite of the financial risks, The Olympian staff remains firm that CVHS and CVUSD should maintain their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. 

Gender ideology, as defined by the Trump administration, includes the “concept of self-assessed gender identity” and the idea that gender is a spectrum. Discriminatory equity ideology, which the administration defines as an ideology that “treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups,” essentially targets DEI initiatives. 

To put an end to these ideas being taught in K-12 schools, the administration plans to use the leverage from the 13.6% of K-12 funding that is provided by the federal government, as per Education Data Initiative. CVHS receives 12.5% of its budget from the federal government, and a loss of this funding would certainly lead to program cuts. 

“DEI programs benefit the people who are involved in it, and it helps build a sense of community for them,” said an Olympian staff member. “I feel like it’s more inclusive that way for those students who rely on those programs.” 

CVHS has the choice to keep DEI programs and potentially lose a large portion of its budget, or it can heed the order and drop the programs to keep the federal funding. Some programs include the Ethnic Studies Class, Afrocentric History, and the Building Leaders & Activists with Collective Knowledge (BLACK) program. 

“The quality of our school will drop no matter how we decide to respond to this new rule because 12.5% of the budget is a lot and DEI is an essential part of our school, so even past this rule, we should definitely continue encouraging diversity,” said an Olympian member.

Though a majority of staff agree that DEI programs are important, not everyone believes it is worth the budget cut.

“This is money that you can’t just drop without heavily compromising on the quality of the school, and while DEI programs are valuable, they are not as valuable as 12.5% of the budget,” said one Olympian staff member.

Overall, DEI programs contribute to the richness and quality of our school’s education. They play a crucial role in promoting different cultural perspectives and creating a balanced view on American history. Diversity is a strength in our school, and bowing down to the administration will only harm our community and set a dangerous precedent for the future. 

“I think that if you do what is necessary to keep most of your budget, you prove that they can do anything,” said one Olympian staff member. “I don’t think that there’s really any rationality to the idea of the government dictating what we are able to learn – that is not supposed to be their business.”