A recent UCLA study found that cultural and political conflict is costing American public schools more than just time.

American school districts have spent roughly $3.2 billion toward resolving tensions over how political issues are taught in educational spaces in the 2023-2024 school year, according to the study. The research focused on disputes regarding the LGBTQ+ community, curriculum diversity and the banning of print books.

The study found that two-thirds of schools experienced moderate to severe levels of conflict, including the regular appearance of misinformation, violent rhetoric and threat-making surrounding these cultural issues.

Rachel White, an associate professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Texas at Austin who co-authored the study, said the $3.2 billion spent is not going toward improving education. Instead, the money is being spent on responding to cultural conflict through lawyer fees, security and replacing teachers who leave their positions, she added.

John Rogers, a professor of education and information studies at UCLA and co-author of the study, said cultural conflicts often arise from partisan politics, adding that this can cause educators feeling pressure to distill their curriculum’s content. The Republican Party in particular utilizes cultural issues in education to gain partisan support, he added.

“By heightening public attention on these culturally divisive issues, they could galvanize and energize a base of voters who can push for partisan advantage within the Republican Party,” he said.

Robert Shand, an assistant professor of education at American University and another co-author of the study, said he believes politicized conflicts in education often do not reflect the opinions of those directly involved.

“There is a little bit of questioning of how much this really reflects the communities that are directly impacted, and the children, the families, the teachers and so on, versus how much this is driven by outside agitators and interest groups,” he said.

However, the study found that, while these costs are high, they are avoidable.

Conflict will always exist, but if moderate and high-conflict schools could reduce arguments to the level of low-conflict schools, they could save a cumulative $2 billion, Shand said. He added that this reduction could significantly improve the quality of life within school districts.

With this $2 billion, more schools could provide free and reduced-priced breakfasts, Rogers said. Districts could also use the money to provide on-site psychological counselors, providing increased firsthand support for the student body, he added.

“$2 billion would go quite a long way,” he said.

Rogers said educators can play a role in promoting democratic and inclusive values, helping to foster trusting relationships between families and schools.

White also said the study is significant given President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to defund the Department of Education. Without a legal framework for educators and parents to adhere to, many previous restrictions and protections will be subject to change, she said.

“We have a lot of laws at the federal level that protect students with disabilities, that protect students who are identified as English learners,” White said. “If we defund the Department of Education, some of that capacity may go away.”