U.S. Education Department puts FCPS on ‘high risk’ status
The U.S. Department of Education announced Aug. 19 that it is placing Fairfax County Public Schools and five Northern Virginia school districts on “high-risk status” for violating Title IX.
That means “all federal funding flowing to these districts is done by reimbursement only,” the department states.
The funds are being withheld because the districts are refusing to rescind their policies that allow transgender students access to bathrooms based on their gender identity. The Education Department wants them to adopt policies with “biology-based definitions of the words ‘male’ and ‘female.’”
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs or activities receiving federal funds.
Because the districts failed to meet the Education Department’s Aug. 15 deadline to change their policies, “the department is commencing administrative proceedings seeking suspension or termination of federal financial assistance.”
Related story: FCPS won’t comply with federal order to rescind bathroom policy for trans students
The department is also placing the districts – Arlington, Prince William, Loudoun, and Alexandria, as well as Fairfax County – on “reimbursement status for all funds, including formula funding, discretionary grants, and impact aid grants, totaling over $50 million.” Those school systems will now be required to pay their education expenses up front and then request reimbursement from the Education Department.
“States and school districts cannot openly violate federal law while simultaneously receiving federal funding with no additional scrutiny,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. “The Northern Virginia school divisions that are choosing to abide by woke gender ideology in place of federal law must now prove they are using every single federal dollar for a legal purpose.”
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid sent a letter to the Education Department on Aug. 15 that cited federal court decisions and Virginia state law showing that FCPS is, in fact, in compliance with Title IX. Reid said “FCPS will follow that clear precedent” and asked the department “not to refer this matter for enforcement action while we continue our discussions in this matter.”
Virginia’s two senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, issued the following statement on Aug. 18:
“The Trump Administration destroyed the federal Department of Education and forced out an exceptional president at the University of Virginia. Now it wants to punish high-performing, award-winning school districts in Northern Virginia. You can’t have a strong economy without strong schools, so add this to the list of President Trump’s disastrous economic policies, alongside his sweeping tariffs and rolling back of investment incentives that were creating tens of thousands of jobs in Virginia.”
While Publius prefers to model decorum, these are laughable cretins grasping at the air to create problems where none exist. “High-risk” may best describe the organization the Secretary helmed for thirty years. Certainly not FCPS.
The poor gender confused students need to invade the very private spaces of all normal students ? What exactly are we teaching ?
The Department of Education appears to be trying to teach ideology.
My kids were being indoctrinated starting in 1st grade. I was appalled by the emphasis on sexual identification over “teaching”. I don’t know what “awards” you are referencing but it couldn’t be for educating the kids. I’m not sure if this is the right avenue to take but the current way, ain’t working. I am happy to be out of the FCPS system