Plainfield Superintendent Wood says District 202 has plans for potential federal funding reductions

Plainfield — Since President Donald Trump assumed office in January, the Department of Education has issued a number of announcements and proposed policy changes.

In a February letter, the department told schools across the country that they would lose funding if they were found to be using “illegal DEI” practices in their curriculums, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion--including focusing on race, gender, or sexual orientation in lessons.

These cuts were put on hold in April by federal courts, as there was a lack of clarity in what “illegal DEI” specifically entailed, however, it is expected the administration will appeal.

The White House has also threatened to cut funding to schools who allow for transgender students to participate in sports that match their gender identities, or to use bathroom and locker room facilities of their preference.

In a separate initiative announced the same week the courts halted the DEI cuts, the administration declared that K-12 schools will be required to incorporate Artificial Intelligence into their curriculums, both for student and teacher use.

The State of Illinois has said its opposition to the DEI funding cuts and has reaffirmed its commitment to diversity in education, while also introducing its own new requirements about schools’ handling of personal technology devices in classrooms.

Jessie Molloy of the Herald-News sat down with Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 Superintendent Dr. Glenn Wood on May 27 to discuss how these shifting issues could effect District 202 in the near future, if the district is concerned about losing funding, and how it intends to adapt to new technology requirements across educational levels.

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