President Trump’s executive order on dismantling the Department of Education (DOE) will spare some programs deemed critical by the administration.
Why It Matters
Since its founding in 1979, the DOE has overseen federal education policy, administering funding to states and school districts, enforcing civil rights protections, and conducting research on educational institutions across the country.
Despite Trump’s commitment to preserving “useful” programs, the move has already been met with criticism from lawmakers, as well as unions representing parents and teachers, who have argued that the department plays a crucial role in maintaining quality within the school system and promoting equal access to education.
Which Functions Are Being Saved?
According to Trump’s speech on Thursday, a number of “useful functions” which fall under the DOE’s remit will be “preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them.”
The exact agencies to which these functions will be transferred has not yet been made clear by the administration. Trump previously suggested that the Small Business Administration could take control of federal student loan programs, the New York Times reported, adding that the Treasury was another option.
CNN, based on plans outlined in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 policy blueprint, said that programs relating to support for disabled students could be transferred to the Department of Health and Human Services.
According to a statement from the department, quoted by ABC News, it will “continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview.”
These are the programs Trump has vowed to protect.
Pell Grants
Pell Grants are a form of federal financial aid provided by the U.S. Department of Education to help low-income undergraduate students pay for college. Unlike loans, Pell Grants do not have to be repaid (except in rare cases, such as withdrawal from school).
According to the National College Attainment Network, the needs-based grant supports around seven million undergraduate students per year. Grant amounts vary depending on an individuals financial needs, the cost of attendance as well as their enrolment status (either full- or part-time).
Title 1 Funding
Title I funding is a federal program in the U.S. that provides financial assistance to schools with high percentages of low-income students. It is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), first passed in 1965 and later updated under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. Funds are distributed by the DOE to state education agencies, which then distribute these to school districts.
Title 1 is estimated to provide assistance to between half and two-thirds of the nation’s public schools, according to the National Center of Education Statistics and the Center for American Progress, respectively.
Resources for children with disabilities
Trump also said that “resources for children with disabilities and special needs will be preserved fully.” This likely comprises the support services provided to children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This legislation, signed in 1990, ensures that children with disabilities from age three are able to receive free and appropriate public education (FAPE), while providing funding to support special education programs. The DOE also works to ensure that discrimination against students due to their disability cannot occur.
What People Are Saying
President Trump on Thursday said: “Beyond these core necessities, my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down the [Department of Education]. We’re going to shut it down and shut it down as quickly as possible. It’s doing us no good. We want to return our students to the states.”
Democratic Representative and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, in a statement released Thursday, said: “Enabled by compliant House Republicans, the Trump administration is determined to take a chainsaw to public education in America. Shutting down the Department of Education will harm millions of children in our nation’s public schools, their families and hardworking teachers. Class sizes will soar, educators will be fired, special education programs will be cut and college will get even more expensive, at a time when the cost of living is already too high.”
Randi Weingarten, president of the America Federation of Teachers, responded to Trump’s executive order in a statement to Fortune, saying: “See you in court.”
What Happens Next?
Although Trump’s executive order will set the process of “dismantling” the department in motion, completely abolishing the DOE will require congressional approval. As well as legislative pushback, the move is also likely to invite lawsuits, as Trump’s previous efforts to trim the department’s workforce have done. Earlier this month the department disclosed that nearly half of its staff would be departing due to layoffs and voluntary buyouts.
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