116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Trump administration threatens to withhold nearly $18 million from Cedar Rapids schools
The school district has ended a 30-year partnership with the Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success to comply with federal law
Sep. 27, 2025 12:41 pm
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
CEDAR RAPIDS — The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights threatened this week to withhold millions in funding from the Cedar Rapids Community School District unless it severed partnerships and disbanded initiatives aimed at promoting equity for students and staff of color.
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 Cedar Rapids school district on Friday announced an end to its 30-year partnership with the Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success at the direction of the Office for Civil Rights.
The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success is a Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit that offers Black and biracial students summer experiences, academic year initiatives and college readiness support while nurturing pride in their identities and communities. It served an average of 110 students in the Cedar Rapids district each year.
“The district had come to an understanding that the Academy helped kids, so they did not block us from going into the schools for recruitment purposes,” said Ruth White, founder and executive director of The Academy. “That probably is the biggest thing, but access to students is paramount. Over the years, they had become really allied in our attempts to recruit students. They’d give us space, counselors would help us find students and recommend students to us.”
The Cedar Rapids school board last month approved a new agreement for the 2025-26 school year with the Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success. The agreement included a district financial contribution to the Academy of $66,525.
White said that is a little less than 50 percent of the Academy’s annual operating budget.
“It’s a big blow, but it’s not a death blow,” she said.
The Academy’s board is meeting next week to determine next steps.
“What surprises me is that we were approved and then the funding was pulled,” White said. “I think in this environment, we were being asked to modify our website, modify wording we used in certain media pieces, and that rankled us. But we met and decided that what we needed was access to kids, and if applying (for district funds) would give us access to kids, we would apply. We would comply, but not capitulate.”
The district, in an email to families Friday, thanked the Academy for having “positively impacted” students.
“We are incredibly thankful to the Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success for their partnership over the past three decades and for all they have done to support our students. Their contributions have positively impacted countless learners in our district,” the email from the district stated.
Compliance with federal law
On Sept. 23, the Office for Civil Rights directed the Cedar Rapids district to take specific actions to ensure compliance with federal law.
Public schools across the U.S. received similar orders to make changes to programs the Office of Civil Rights says violate federal antidiscrimination laws.
Chicago Public Schools, New York City Schools and Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia were told to stop giving students access to locker rooms and restrooms corresponding with their gender identity, NBC News reported.
Chicago Public Schools also was told to abolish the Black Student Success Plan or risk losing millions in federal funding, the Chicago Sun Times reported.
If the Cedar Rapids district did not come into compliance, the Office for Civil Rights threatened to withhold funds from two nearly $15 million federal grants being invested in state-of-the-art technology, innovative equipment, and hands-on learning experiences that connect students with industry-leading careers.
Of the total $30 million in grants, the district already has received about $12 million, leaving $18 million that could have been withheld if it did not come into compliance.
The district received the grant funds from the U.S. Department of Education’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program in 2022 and 2024.
The Office for Civil Rights directed the district to ensure that no hiring or recruitment incentives would be offered or paid to employees on the basis of race, and to deactivate all district affinity and employee resource groups.
The district in 2023 offered a bonus of $3,000 for newly hired teachers with experience working with Black, Indigenous and other people of color who stayed for three years in an effort to fill open teaching positions.
“The district has provided written assurance to (the Office of Civil Rights) that the hiring incentive program in place in 2023-2024 did not provide payments on the basis of race. The district further assured (the Office of Civil Rights) that any future hiring or recruitment incentives would be provided to employees in compliance with Title VI,” the email stated.
The district’s affinity and employee resource groups have not been active since 2024, the district’s email stated.
“Cedar Rapids Community School District is committed to offering educational programs and opportunities that are open to everyone, in line with our values and the law,” Superintendent Tawana Grover said in the email. “We regret if any past practices by the district caused confusion or concern. Our goal has always been, and continues to be, to bring students and staff together and ensure every learner has the support and opportunities they need to thrive. Thank you to everyone in our community for working together to make every learner future-ready.”
What was the district’s agreement with The Academy?
Under the agreement with the school district, the Academy was to operate the following programs:
- The Expansion program for students in grades third through fifth to learn academic and leadership skills using cultural awareness as a base. The program meets after school at Coe College.
- The African American Awareness Program for middle school students to learn about their culture while improving academics. It met weekly during the school year at each of the district’s six middle schools.
The Academy also offers a six week summer program for high school students at Mount Mercy University.
Student outcomes of the programs are students demonstrating growth in social-emotional competencies and academic achievement, confidence and a commitment to advanced learning, according to the contract.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
Daily Newsletters