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Nearly two-thirds of the 500 U.S. school superintendents surveyed are facing moderate to high levels of conflict in their districts related to race, LGBTQ+ student rights, and book access, according to a new report released Wednesday by researchers from UC Riverside, UCLA, the University of Texas at Austin, and American University.
This conflict is not just a social challenge — it’s costing schools billions.
The report, the first of its kind, provides an eye-opening analysis of the financial burden these cultural disputes are imposing on public K-12 education. Researchers estimated that the total cost for U.S. public schools to manage these conflicts during the 2023-24 school year is approximately $3.2 billion.
Superintendents cited increased expenses for security, legal fees, and public relations as part of their efforts to handle community outrage over policies affecting race and LGBTQ+ students, along with heated debates over book access. Indirect costs were equally alarming, with districts needing to redeploy staff to address the flood of public records requests and to counter misinformation and threats circulating on social media.
For an average school district serving around 10,000 students, moderate conflict costs approximately $500,000 annually, while high-conflict districts reported spending $812,000 on average. Not only does this drain educational resources, but districts experiencing high levels of conflict could save upwards of $562,000 by reducing the intensity of their cultural disputes.
The damage isn’t limited to finances. Superintendents are grappling with personal threats and harassment aimed at themselves and their staff. In the 2023-24 school year, half of the surveyed superintendents reported experiencing at least one form of harassment, with 10 percent facing threats of violence and 11 percent dealing with property vandalism.
One superintendent described the harassment their administrative assistant faced: “Our social media accounts were bombarded with messages of hate. My 60-plus-year-old administrative assistant was overwhelmed with calls to the point where she wanted to quit.”
Joseph Kahne, a distinguished professor at UC Riverside and co-author of the report, highlighted the gravity of the situation: “These conflicts come with a very real cost—not only financially but also in terms of the social fabric of the schools our children attend.”
John Rogers, a UCLA professor and lead researcher of the study, emphasized the broader implications. “These conflicts are generating fear, stress, and anxiety, disrupting school operations and taking a personal toll on educators. Beyond the financial impact, it’s eroding trust between schools and communities—undermining the democratic foundation of civic life.”
In the midst of these challenges, schools are not only facing the pressures of their budgets but also the fundamental task of fostering inclusive and safe learning environments. The cost of division, it appears, is being borne not only by the ledger but by the very essence of education itself.
About UC Riverside:
A hub for groundbreaking research, UC Riverside serves over 26,000 students and contributes more than $2.7 billion to the U.S. economy annually. The campus reflects California’s diverse culture and is committed to solving critical local, state, and global challenges.
