Governor Ron DeSantis is on a mission to clean up Florida’s education system.
The America First Governor just made a startling discovery that has taxpayers concerned.
And Ron DeSantis demanded a refund after DOGE exposed one shocking woke program that cost taxpayers thousands.
Florida DOGE uncovers “social justice” training at state university
Governor Ron DeSantis established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to audit government spending and identify wasteful programs across Florida’s institutions.
The efficiency team recently found something concerning at the University of West Florida.
Florida’s DOGE announced on X that they discovered the university was “actively engaged” in a grant that utilized over $800,000 in federal funding from the National Science Foundation.
Florida’s DOGE efforts are ensuring that light is shined on waste, fraud, and abuse in the state of Florida. Our team recently discovered that the University of West Florida is actively engaged in a grant that has utilized over $800,000 in federal funding from the National… pic.twitter.com/HMJ0FQ7BpG
— Florida DOGE (@DOGEFla) May 5, 2025
The program’s title is “Educating Science and Mathematics Majors to Teach with Social Justice Models in High-Needs Schools.”
DeSantis called for the university to return the money.
He said that “no Florida college or university should be focused on social justice or woke ideology over classical education. This money should be refunded as part of Florida’s DOGE efforts—which would add to the nearly $1 billion that Florida has already returned this year.”
No Florida college or university should be focused on social justice or woke ideology over classical education.
This money should be refunded as part of Florida’s DOGE efforts—which would add to the nearly $1 billion that Florida has already returned this year. https://t.co/EVK54tB2ML
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 5, 2025
When asked about the DOGE findings, the University of West Florida responded by saying they were “currently looking into this” and noting the grant was “originally awarded in 2017, with the most recent renewal awarded in 2022, prior to SB 266.”
The university also provided additional context.
It stated that while their NSF Noyce grant “references a social justice theme in its title and abstract,” the “implementation of UWF’s program does not incorporate this theme.”
The university’s explanation raises questions about why “social justice models” appear in the grant title if it’s not part of their program.
DeSantis continues war on woke education
This isn’t the first time DeSantis has taken on leftist indoctrination in Florida’s education system.
In February, DeSantis announced a state task force aimed at auditing government spending and exploring the potential abolition of property taxes.
According to DeSantis, the DOGE program has already identified ways to return nearly $1 billion to Florida taxpayers this year.
The University of West Florida case demonstrates why DeSantis established the efficiency department.Â
The DOGE review uncovered federal funding being directed toward a program with “social justice” in its title.
The university’s statement explained that the Noyce program provides scholarships to selected students enrolled in a UWF Teach program.Â
They noted that a second grant supports two Noyce Scholars who completed projects on “water quality sampling methods” and “aspirin synthesis.”
According to UWF, “these projects do not have a social justice focus, nor will future projects incorporate such a theme. Scholarship awards are based on merit, including GPA, letters of recommendation, and a letter of interest.”
DeSantis maintains that social justice and “woke ideology” have no place in Florida’s education system, especially when taxpayer dollars are involved.
This investigation aligns with DeSantis’s February announcement of a state task force aimed at auditing government spending and exploring the potential abolition of property taxes.
