Hunter
09/30/25
Gazette
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has threatened the Cedar Rapids Community School District, saying they would cut off federal funds totaling about $18 million, unless they ended a partnership aimed at promoting equity for students and staff of color.
The threat resulted in the District ending a 30-year partnership with the Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success.
The Gazette reports the directive from the education department follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January that aimed to end “radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling.” The order cites Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin.
The nonprofit Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success, based in Cedar Rapids, offers black and biracial students various paths to success, including support and college readiness support during the school year as well as summer experiences. They served an average of 110 students each year.
The Cedar Rapids school board approved a new agreement for this school year with the Academy, including a financial contribution of over $66,000. That funding has now been cut off.
Ruth White, founder and executive director for the Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success, said that’s just under 50 percent of their operating budget. She said the cut is “a big blow, but not a death blow.”
The Academy’s board will be meeting to determine their next steps.