reality, the diversity mandate just takes away slots in a successful school from those who need it the most. >> the majority of the students of color who don't have access to quality schools. they lose. >> the connecticut board of education warned capital prep, it could lose its funding. >> the letter said, we're going to shut you down if you don't get enough white people. >> reporter: principal perry hired a recruiter to target communities in places like avon, why the local public schools outperform others across the state. isn't it great to have diversity, 25% of thewhite kids? since you have 75% of the school black kids? >> yeah, i think that there's a lot to it. i don't think it's an issue of being right or wrong. it's more nuance than that. which wouldn't mean anything if they had other options. >> reporter: the connecticut board of education concedes there is irony in threatening to pull funding for a