Culturally Divisive Conflict Costly to School Districts Across the United States
Culturally divisive conflicts cost school districts across the United States a collective $3.2 billion annually, according to a national survey of superintendents conducted by researchers John Rogers, Rachel White, Robert Shand, and Joseph Kahne, with results published in a recent issue of the Peabody Journal of Education (2026, Vol. 101, No. 1, pp.6–19). The analysis of culturally divisive conflicts centers on teaching about issues of race and racism, rights and protections for LGTBQ+ students, and student access to a full range of books.
Direct costs accrued due to culturally divisive conflicts include enhanced security measures, media and community outreach, school board and government relations, and staff turnover. These costs were borne disproportionately by the degree of conflict experienced by a district, ranging from $25 per pupil for low-conflict districts to $80 per pupil for high-conflict districts.
These estimates do not account for the indirect costs, namely staff time redirected from otherwise productive tasks to manage conflicts instead. Moreover, superintendents bear a significant burden in weathering culturally divisive conflicts: 30% of superintendents feared for their own or their family’s personal safety during the 2023–2024 school year, half experienced at least once instance of harassment, and 10% received death threats or experienced property vandalism.
The authors conclude that culturally divisive conflicts are costly and highly disruptive of efforts to prepare the next generation for informed and effective engagement in our constitutional democracy. While they acknowledge that debates about how and what our children are taught in our diverse, politically heterogeneous country are inevitable, the authors insist that these conflicts be resolved civilly through established channels of local governance, most prominently school boards. Parents, members of the public, and school board members themselves should practice pluralism and model civic friendship. And we must invest in the capacity of educators, school leaders, and board members to manage culturally divisive conflicts as part of collegiate training and their ongoing professional development.