Broward Schools End Partnership with Latinos in Action Amid Federal Funding Concerns
Broward County schools are facing a significant shift as they sever ties with the Latinos in Action youth leadership program, a decision aimed at preserving $30 million in federal support. Despite strong advocacy from students and local leaders, the School Board’s vote on November 18 decided the program’s fate.
The termination of the contract, which supported both elective classes and after-school clubs in high schools, will take effect on December 31. This decision follows a September 24 letter to Superintendent Howard Hepburn from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The letter alleged that the program violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids racial, color, and national origin discrimination in federally funded programs.
Central to the federal critique was a FAQ on the national group’s website. It stated, “80% of the class must be Latino. 20% of students may be from any other racial/ethnic background,” a policy the federal government deemed as “prohibited racial balancing.” This language, however, was not part of the district’s formal contract with Latinos in Action and was removed from the website by late September.
Despite these efforts, the federal department insisted on discontinuing the partnership, threatening to pull $30 million in magnet funding if compliance was not achieved. Similar warnings were reportedly issued to other Florida districts, while comparable districts in other states were not targeted, according to U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
At a news conference, Wasserman Schultz, alongside fellow Democratic Congress members, urged the Department of Education to reconsider, emphasizing that the program is non-discriminatory. Yet, district officials indicated that the federal stance appeared unyielding.
The School Board’s decision was reached with a 6-3 vote. Some members, despite recognizing the program’s benefits for students, especially those foreign-born adjusting to the school system, felt constrained by the federal threat.
Board Chairwoman Sarah Leonardi, who opposed the termination, remarked, “This has been a tremendous program for our students. It is really disturbing that this is happening now, and it is harmful to students to get rid of this program.”
On the other side, Board member Adam Cervera, who voted for termination, expressed concern about the 80-20 policy noted on the website. Cervera highlighted a lack of communication from Latinos in Action’s corporate headquarters as a critical factor in his decision: “What’s extremely disturbing to me is when we attempted to reach out to the corporate office or the corporate headquarters of Latinos In Action for clarification and to see if they would fix this issue, we didn’t get a response.”
Jose Enriquez, the CEO and founder of Latinos in Action, countered these claims in a November 25 letter, arguing his organization communicated multiple times with Superintendent Hepburn and had no racial quotas. Enriquez emphasized that the district never restricted student participation in the course.
Enriquez wrote, “Despite these efforts, BCPS ended our contract without providing (Latinos in Action) an opportunity to discuss, address, or resolve the Department of Education’s concerns. The statements made during the Special Board Meeting regarding racial quota requirements and a lack of communication from LIA were inaccurate and misinformed. We believe it is important to correct the record promptly and transparently.”
Board member Maura Bulman, who also supported ending the contract, cited the federal threat as her primary concern, stating, “I don’t think that how we personally feel about how great the organization is really has any bearing on it. It’s just a matter of do we want to jeopardize $30 million or not. … I think we just need to make the decision and be done with it.”
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