The Oregon district allegedly provides a program and funds to boost academic improvement among black students while avoiding groups such as Native Americans.
Federal officials are investigating Portland Public Schools in Oregon for alleged racial discrimination in the district’s Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) program, the U.S. Department of Education stated on Feb. 17.
“CBSE’s guiding principles pledge to ‘center Blackness unapologetically’ by offering black students year-round academic interventions in math and literacy, tutoring, food assistance, and transportation support,” the department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) said in a statement.
“According to a complaint filed with OCR, a recent $1.2 billion bond includes tens of millions allocated for academic interventions, wraparound support, facilities, and family programs exclusively for black students, despite PPS [Portland Public Schools] data showing other student groups face similar or greater challenges.”
According to the department, PPS data from 2021–2022 showed “widespread academic struggles” among various racial groups.
Among black students at PPS, only 17 percent met third-grade reading proficiency levels, with Native American students at 17.6 percent and Pacific Islanders at 16.7 percent.
As for graduation rates, 79.4 percent of PPS black students got high school diplomas, while 73.7 percent of Latino students and 61.5 percent of Native American students graduated.
“Despite these disparities, the PPS school board rejected a proposal to allocate $40 million to a Native Student Success Center,” the federal department stated.
The PPS actions may violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, or color in education programs and activities that receive funding from the federal government, according to the department.
“Civil rights law—and basic fairness—demand that every student, regardless of race, has equal access to educational programs and support,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said.
“Although students of many races are falling behind, PPS is reserving academic interventions and essential resources exclusively for Black students. Discrimination disguised as ‘equity’ is still discrimination. OCR is committed to vigorously enforcing Title VI to ensure that excellence—not exclusion—defines schools so every child has an opportunity to succeed.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Portland Public Schools for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
