In Wisconsin, the Madison Metropolitan School District is spending more than $113,000 on a partnership that specifically focuses on "young men of color."
The district has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with the nonprofit Improve Your Tomorrow, which facilitates or has facilitated this programming in at least 18 other districts across the country and has taken in over $30 million from district contracts and federal and state grants.
According to the district and its partners, the money is being used for mentoring programs, academic support, college and career readiness efforts, and "culturally responsive programming" aimed at students the district describes as "historically underserved."
Paul Runko of Defending Education says that "raises questions about race-based programming" and possible Title VI and Title IX concerns.
"I think most parents and citizens would support mentoring and giving academic help for students who are struggling," he responds. "The concern comes when it's perceived you are using these programs or initiating these programs seemingly based on race and even sex."
"Struggling students should be targeted based on need and not by identity categories," Runko adds.
Looking at things like national assessment scores and even the district's own reported data, he says it is difficult to tell whether these diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have any sort of positive effect.
"I think at best, they are neutral, and at worst, they actually contribute to greater disparities in academic achievement," Runko tells AFN. "It's time for schools to start rethinking ways to bring all students up in their academic achievement and abandon some of these DEI initiatives."
Haircuts and protein shakes for trans Gophers
At the University of Minnesota, The College Fix obtained the spending log for the Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer And Trans Life and found that it spent $800 on "gender affirming haircuts."
"I guess if you were a woman, but you wanted to tell people you were a man, you would get a shorter haircut," figures Matt Lamb, associate editor of the college news outlet. "If you were a man that wanted to look like a woman, you'd have to plan ahead a little longer … grow out your hair, I guess, and get a perm."
Hundreds of dollars also went to pride flags and special protein shakes for the campus "Trans and Queer Strength Training Group," which additionally brought in various speakers.
In total, the center spent more than $55,000 on food, supplies and other services. This is only the check register; it does not include any salaries, benefits or other payments for the center's three employees.
"This is not the main cause of student loan debt or the main driver of tuition at the University of Minnesota, but I certainly think taxpayers should wonder why their money is being spent on this in the first place," Lamb submits.
Even if only $20 went to those haircuts, he would still consider it "silly" for the taxpayer-funded public university in the Twin Cities to sponsor such activities.
He says things have gotten "crazier by the year" since he was a student reporter just 10 years ago.
Dinner for Muslim Wolverines
The College Fix also reports that several University of Michigan campuses formally sponsored an iftar event, which is the dinner a Muslim person eats after breaking a Ramadan fast.
"The Ann Arbor campus spent a little over $1,000 buying food for the event," Lamb relays. "This is a little different than the Muslim student group hosting an event or spending some student fees; this is the university formally endorsing a religious event."
"Because there is no indication the university similarly sponsored a Catholic fish fry or a Jewish meal in the same way," he says the event has understandably drawn criticism and accusations of double standards.
Noting that the University of Michigan at one point launched a post-Roe task force, basically with the goal of ensuring that women could continue having abortions in the state, Lamb thinks these examples should cause parents and taxpayers in Minnesota, Michigan and other places to wonder what their public education institutions are spending money on and why.
"I would definitely recommend filing public records requests for how various departments are spending money, how different centers or think tanks of the campus are spending money," he says.
AFN reached out to the Madison Metropolitan School District, the University of Minnesota and the University of Michigan for comment and did not receive a response.
