EXCLUSIVE — Two education watchdogs, Defending Education and Do No Harm, filed a joint complaint with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights on Thursday, alleging that Oregon has illegally considered race in its education funding policies.

The Oregon Department of Education requires that 65% of a charter school’s student body be from a minority group or disabled to qualify for a Charter School Equity Grant. The state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission also distributes funding to Oregon’s public universities according to the number of minority students who graduate.