With Senate Bill 12 being passed in the Texas House and Senate and possibly being signed by Gov. Abbott, several school districts, such as Dallas ISD, have already taken action.
Texas Senate Bill 12 strengthens parental rights in public education by requiring written consent for instruction on sensitive topics, restricting student participation in certain clubs, and giving parents authority over medical and psychological decisions for their children. It also bans DEI programs in K–12 schools, including training, hiring practices, and classroom instruction based on race, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
When searching for the Dallas ISD Racial Equity Office, the result “PAGE NOT FOUND” was presented.
The page once read, “Our mission is to eliminate systemic disparities and ensure equity so all students, regardless of race, have the opportunity to graduate equipped to compete.”
Dallas ISD trustees have proposed policies to comply with the law.
The changes would alter the district’s educational equity policy by striking the text, “The District shall systematically and systemically change its practices to achieve and maintain racial equity in education.” This will be replaced by, “The District shall systematically and systemically improve its practices to achieve and maintain accountability in education.”
It will also strike the “Acknowledgement of Racial Inequities” and rename the Racial Equity Office to the “Office of School Improvement,” per KERA.
DISD Trustee Ben Mackey told KERA News that “Obviously, we’re going to follow the law.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Dallas ISD faced backlash last year after it published a resource guide that advised how to transition genders, even recommending specific transgender clinics, as well as directing schools to provide students access to restrooms that do not necessarily correspond to their sex at birth.
Meanwhile, Fort Worth ISD has not publicly announced whether it will follow suit.
The district still features an active webpage for “Division of E&E” (Equity and Excellence), stating, “In order to support the success of ALL Fort Worth ISD students and to ensure all students are prepared for College, Career, and Community Leadership, the Division of Equity and Excellence will ensure equity in all practices and at all organizational levels in FWISD by providing professional development to educate others on the impact of institutionalized racism and equity, specifically racial equity, on student achievement.”
In 2024, Fort Worth ISD approved a $255,000 contract extension for “My Brother’s Keeper,” a DEI program launched by President Barack Obama in 2014 to “eliminate institutional and structural inequity and racism.”
Fort Worth ISD has long been at the center of controversy over its DEI programming. The district spent over $2 million on DEI consulting services. In late 2021, its racial equity committee co-chair resigned after reportedly doxxing parents and labeling them “white supremacists,” according to Fox News.
Despite the DEI focus for years, it appears the effort has not translated into improvements in student success. Both Fort Worth ISD and Dallas ISD have posted disappointing STAAR results. According to the Texas Education Agency, only 47% of DISD third graders met grade level on the reading test. Fort Worth ISD performed even worse, with just 41% of third graders meeting grade level in reading, reported WFAA.
The Dallas Express reached out to Fort Worth ISD School Board President Roxanne Martinez and Dallas ISD School Board President Joe Carreon, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.