As president Donald Trump and his Department of Education continue their attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs in U.S. public schools, Sacramento school districts have said they do not plan to make an immediate changes to their diversity policies.
In a Jan. 29 executive order, “Ending Racial Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” Trump took his first concrete step to address DEI in schools, which he said will “return” to the fundamentals of effective reading and math instruction.
But the San Juan Unified School District, whose main equity policy is their Commitment to Educational Justice statement, has said it will continue operating as normal.
Anti-racist instruction and increasing workforce diversity are part of its equity plan, though the district did not provide specifics on how it is achieving those goals.
“No programs or policies have changed in our district,” spokesperson Raj Rai said.
In a letter to families, superintendent Melissa Bassenelli said that “it’s important to know that executive orders do not immediately change how our schools operate.”
The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) also maintains their own DEI department with an “Equity Imperative.” The department provides training to schools on topics such as microaggressions, structural racism, and inclusion and belonging.
Their office did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Immediately following another Trump executive order, “Ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity,” the board of Roseville’s Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District became the first in the area to eliminate its equity policy.
“Eliminating a DEI policy doesn’t mean that we hate anybody or that we’re not going to provide kids with the best education that they need,” board member Jean Pagnone said.
Pagnone previously wrote in the California Globe that “our kids (are) being sterilized and mutilated in the name of gender ideology.”
The federal Department of Education, soon to be eliminated entirely per Trump’s pledge, has already removed its DEI training and instructional materials and ended the Diversity and Inclusion Council.
The termination of its DEI spending will save roughly $2.6 million, the department said in a press release.
A 2023 study by the Pew Research Center found that 34% of public school district mission statements mention DEI.
Sacramento schools have long been some of the most diverse in the country, with Natomas Unified ranked first, Elk Grove second and Sacramento City, according to a Niche report.
