Underperforming California school district paying enormous sum to teach kids with a 'rap curriculum'

An underperforming California schoolhouse territory is dishing retired astir $300,000 to spouse with a radical to thatch a rap-based program to students, sparking "troubling" concerns, the Justice Department said. 

The Merced City School District, 1 of the state’s lower-performing schoolhouse districts, has signed a $270,000 declaration with School Yard Rap, the New York Post reported. 

 The statement includes a summertime "Rap Camp" and an "African American Affinity Group," which has raised questions astir whether the concern complies with national law. 

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The Merced City School District has paid astir $300,000 to declaration with School Yard Rap, to thatch kids utilizing hip-hop successful its curriculum.  (Merced City School District)

Lessons see past lessons, songwriting, DJ-ing and performances.

"The School Yard Rap program transforms past lessons into relatable characters presented done songs and storytelling- resulting successful affectional connection," the School Yard Rap website states. 

Established successful 2016, School Yard Rap, which operates successful 28 states, presents "a satellite wherever learning meets rhythm, exploring divers cultures and subjects done interactive music-infused modules."

Merced has handed retired $610,000 worthy of contracts to School Yard Rap, the Post reported. Fox News Digital has reached retired to the schoolhouse territory and School Yard Rap. 

The Justice Department told Fox News Digital that immoderate race-based programming is "troubling."

"It is amerciable for the authorities to connection benefits solely connected the ground of race. We person not had the accidental to analyse these allegations, but if true, they are troubling," Harmeet Dhillon, adjunct lawyer wide of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, told Fox News Digital. 

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The Merced City School District entered into a declaration with School Yard Rap for a rap-based curriculum.  (istock)

Brandon Brown, a erstwhile schoolhouse teacher and laminitis of School Yard Rap, told the paper that the programming wasn’t exclusionary.

"This campy specifically — the African American Affinity Camp — is unfastened to each azygous pupil grades 3rd to 8th, focusing connected African American past and the diaspora," helium said. "I deliberation this is politically driven and the crushed this is being called out."

However, 1 of School Yard Rap's programs, titled "Moor than a Month" features opus lyrics mimicking those by hip-hop radical Migos, which talks astir achromatic patriarchy.

"I’mma beryllium Black each time that I’m here, nary cap, for much than a month, conscionable similar each Black kid successful class," the opus said.

"So this medium for them, but this track’s for you — each teacher and parent, you request this truth," 1 enactment states. "History books person a achromatic antheral skew, but judge maine I ain’t blaming you. That’s who wrote it connected insubstantial — it’s a rhythm by nature."

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The schoolhouse territory serves 11,400 students but has a student-teacher ratio of 25 to 1, according to Niche, a website that compiles information to fertile and reappraisal schools. Only 13% of the students conscionable math-proficiency benchmarks, the study states. 

The Justice Department has launched probes precocious into different schoolhouse districts for alleged race-based programs and hiring practices. In April 2025, it began looking into Chicago Public Schools’ Black Student Success Plan implicit alleged race-based benefits.