The Arizona Department of Education has released a list of which school districts did and didn’t sign an anti-DEI pledge required by the U.S. Department of Education to receive federal funding.  

In Maricopa, every school district signed the agreement: A+ Charter Schools, Heritage Academy, Leading Edge Academy, Legacy Traditional School and Maricopa Unified School District.  

The MUSD board voted unanimously to sign the letter last week, with each member voicing concerns about the vague language.  

“Do I like to be forced into something that I’m not sure I totally understand because it’s so vague? No,” said board member Patti Coutré, “but I can’t risk not being able to give all our students everything they need and an education to succeed.” 

Had they not signed, it would have put $13 million in federal funding at risk. Such is the case for several area school districts, including two — CAVIT and Kyrene School District — that serve more than 400 Maricopa families. 

According to the list published today by the Arizona Department of Education, 67 school districts did not sign the letter. Seven districts in Pinal County refused to sign. They are:  

• Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology (CAVIT) 

• Imagine Coolidge Elementary, Inc. 

• Imagine Prep Coolidge, Inc. 

• Imagine Prep Superstition, Inc. 

• Imagine Superstition Middle, Inc. 

• Pinal County Sheriff’s Office 

• Ray Unified District 

Why is the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office on the list?  

No one really knows.  

“I’m guessing they may have an accommodation school for incarcerated youths,” said ADE spokesperson Doug Nick. “You might check with them.” 

We did. 

“At the moment, we are scratching our heads,” responded Pinal County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sam Salzwedel. “Can you check with [the ADE] to see if this is an error? Not ruling out any responsibility here, but it looks strange.”  

La Paz and Cochise County Sheriff’s Offices are also on the list. It is unclear how much federal funds these three departments receive or if they are truly going to be withheld.  

A message to the ruling party… 

Beyond the city of Maricopa and Pinal County, some of Arizona’s biggest districts refused to sign, too. 

Mesa Unified District, the state’s largest, as well as Creighton Elementary District, Phoenix and Tolleson Union High School Districts are among those that refused to sign the paperwork. Those districts alone educate 84,151 students, according to National Center for Education Statistics data.  

Some 1,000 Maricopa students are bused to Tempe and Kyrene school districts. Tempe Union schools signed the letter last week, according to KJZZ, although it is not listed anywhere on the compliance list. 

Kyrene Elementary District signed the letter but is out of compliance with the education goals of the new administration. 

At the core of the conflict is Kyrene’s “Staff Social-Emotional Wellness” policy, adopted April 8. That document asks teachers to foster a “safe, respectful and supportive environment” for staff members. The policy emphasizes equity, belonging and inclusion, asserting all staff should have access to emotional and mental health support regardless of background or circumstance. 

…and one back 

Despite signing the compliance letter at an April 22 Kyrene school board meeting, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne issued a formal notice last week warning Kyrene that its recent vote places its federal funding at risk. Horne accused the district of refusing to align its practices with federal civil rights requirements that mandate inclusive and non-discriminatory environments for staff and students. 

According to Horne’s letter, Kyrene’s refusal to amend its policy to explicitly comply with federal standards constituted a breach of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs receiving federal funding. 

In a statement, the Kyrene Governing Board reaffirmed its commitment to social-emotional wellness and equity, emphasizing that “equity must be at the forefront of our efforts to promote social-emotional wellness,” and promising to create a district where all staff feel “valued and supported.”  

“This requested certification aligns with the Kyrene promise to create welcome and inclusive learning environments in which every student is honored, valued and feels a strong sense of belonging and purpose,” said Kyrene Board President Kevin Walsh, before voting on the anti-DEI letter.  

“Kyrene’s commitment to anti-discriminatory practice is also addressed in our diversity, equity and inclusion policy, which states this educational and workplace policy establishes that each student, family, employee and stakeholder should have a sense of belonging within our district without bias or discrimination.” 

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes challenged Horne’s position, arguing the ADE lacks the legal authority to withhold any of the $770 million in federal funds that come to Arizona schools. She contends such actions constitute politicized threats that could harm students and educators by disrupting essential funding for programs supporting low-income students and teacher training.  

Mayes also joined a coalition of attorneys general in suing the Trump administration over plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The lawsuit seeks to prevent mass layoffs and the transfer of critical services, calling the action an unconstitutional attack on students. 

Superintendent Horne, who previously served as Arizona’s attorney general, maintains that the ADE is obligated to enforce federal requirements tied to education funding. He emphasizes the department’s responsibility to ensure that schools comply with federal laws to secure necessary funding.  

To bolster the anti-DEI argument, the ADE homepage links to PragerU, which has publicized a child’s cartoon about the dangers of championing diversity, equity and inclusion, as seen through the eyes of a Black teen in a Chicago classroom. 

Last Thursday, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s push to cut funding to K-12 public schools over DEI programs. 

The full list, by county, of districts that did not sign the policy is below: