federal education funds heading to Texas, but conditions attached
In Texas, a growing concern has emerged regarding the allocation of recently unfrozen education funding, with education policy expert Dr. Carole Haynes suggesting that the funds could potentially be used to support radical left-wing organizations promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) policies.
Dr. Haynes, citing the websites of certain organizations, claims that these groups openly promote DEI and CRT policies. Among the programs at risk of being shut down before the funding was unfrozen were Girls Inc., Communities in Schools, and My Brother's Keeper, which are primarily funded by school districts and overseen by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Around $660 million of the released funds will be allocated to Texas school districts by the TEA, with the funds primarily being used to fund after-school programs. Dr. Haynes believes that strict oversight is needed to ensure that these funds are not being misused, and she suggests that all interested parties need to be involved in the oversight of how the funds are spent.
The public and legislature in Texas can ensure accountability in education funding by strengthening the school accountability system, requiring transparent reporting of expenditures, and legislating clear standards and restrictions on how funds may be used. Key mechanisms include publicly available school performance ratings, commissioner oversight, and intervention plans for low-performing schools.
Recent legislative efforts focus on replacing STAAR tests with assessments supportive of instruction while maintaining the A–F accountability system that rates school performance annually and publishes these ratings by August 15 each year. To prevent funds from being used for after-school programs promoting DEI or CRT policies, the legislature can impose restrictions on allowable program content through the budget approval process, attach spending conditions to grants, and require districts to submit detailed spending plans subject to state review.
Accountability measures can also include the creation of advisory committees appointed by the commissioner to oversee program compliance and public transparency initiatives to keep families and stakeholders informed about how funds are used and which programs are implemented.
Dr. Haynes believes that the legislature may not provide sufficient oversight and that public involvement is necessary. She emphasizes that the public should be more involved in monitoring how the funds are spent, as the unfrozen education funding is being used to fund programs that promote DEI and CRT policies. The recent 2025 reforms demonstrate strong state-level control over accountability processes and school interventions, which can be leveraged to enforce responsible spending aligned with legislated priorities and prohibited uses such as DEI or CRT programs.
In summary, accountability in Texas education funding is largely ensured by laws requiring annual public performance ratings, intervention plans, and commissioner oversight, with possibilities for the legislature and public to influence spending through legislation and transparency measures. To prevent funding for unwanted "woke" after-school programs, the key tools are legally defined spending restrictions, oversight committees, and transparent reporting to the public and legislature.
- To address concerns about the usage of Education and Self-Development funds supporting radical organizations promoting DEI and CRT policies, it is crucial for the public and the legislature in Texas to strengthen their oversight and impose legal restrictions on allowable program content.
- Involvement of the public is necessary in monitoring how the Education and Self-Development funds are spent, as these funds are being used to support after-school programs that promote DEI and CRT policies, and may potentially influence Politics and General News.
