(The Daily Orange | Feb. 25, 2025) In the weeks following a flurry of executive orders dismantling diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs, public school districts across the United States have begun to implement President Donald Trump’s new policies by cutting DEIA language from material and curriculum.
These changes have disproportionate negative impacts in redlined communities like the city of Syracuse, said George Theoharis, a Syracuse University professor of educational leadership and inclusive education. Trump’s efforts threaten to undo progress, he said, such as by eliminating programs for children with disabilities and cutting classes designed to support non-English-speaking students.
“It was so exciting because you could tell that it meant so much to that kid that their religion and culture was being celebrated.”
Mya Leonforte ’27
“If we start rolling back those things quickly, those opportunities will disappear very fast for kids,” Theoharis said. “Kids, we have real evidence, should and can flourish in every part of their school. If these sorts of things will start changing, it will take a long time to recover.”
Since taking office, Trump has signed over 70 executive orders. One, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” mandates federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education, to eliminate all DEI programs, initiatives and positions within 60 days of the order’s release or face the risk of losing access to federal funding.
Just over 7% of funding for public schools in New York state comes from the federal government, totaling about $2,500 per student annually, according to USAFacts. But for the Syracuse City School District, federal funding is over three times the state average, totaling 22.7%, or $7,900 for each student.
If SCSD doesn’t adhere to the new policies, it could risk losing millions in federal funds for over 19,000 students in the region.
“A fundamental part of schools is to make a place where the breadth of diversity that we have in our country and in all of our communities is welcoming and affirmed, and (students) can flourish both academically, socially and all the other spaces,” Theoharis said.
Mya Leonforte, a sophomore at SU in the inclusive childhood education program, works directly with students in SCSD as a part of her studies. She said DEIA programs are crucial in public schools, and their elimination would lower students’ quality of education. In her classroom, Leonforte said students learn about a different culture or religious holiday every day.
“One day, they were learning about Ramadan and one of the kids was so excited,” Leonforte said. “They told me, ‘We celebrate Ramadan at my house!’ It was so exciting because you could tell that it meant so much to that kid that their religion and culture was being celebrated.”
She said activities like these could be deemed “DEIA initiatives” and expressed concern for students who will either lose these opportunities or face major funding reductions in their district …
By Arabella Klonowski