Department of Education cuts cripple K-12 supports for students | Opinion

The Trump administration wants to abolish the Department of Education (D.Ed.). Since that move requires Congress and is deeply unpopular, instead, under Education Secretary Linda McMahon, it has hobbled the department with layoffs that make it nearly impossible for D.Ed. to do its job. Below is a non-exhaustive list of impacts on K-12 education.

The D.Ed. plays three roles in K-12 education: (1) it funds programs, most notably Title I, to help school districts fund resources for disadvantaged and disabled students; (2) it monitors compliance with civil rights laws that affect education; (3) it conducts research and provides statistics on reading and math scores through the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES).

Through layoffs, the Trump/McMahon D.Ed. has undermined these congressionally mandated and funded roles. In early March, D.Ed. laid off 1300 workers, nearly half of its workforce. Another 466 workers were laid off during the shutdown.

Title I funds schools with a high percentage of low-income students to bolster students in poor areas. For the 2024-25 academic year, State College Area School District got about $833K in Title I funds. Other school districts are far more dependent upon these funds. In 2023, Johnstown got a third of its funds from Title I and other federal programs. The shutdown layoffs gutted the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, including a team that oversees Title I funds.

The D. Ed. also sends money to the states through the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) to provide small class sizes and other supports for disabled students and students with learning differences. In October, during the shutdown, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services was reduced to fewer than half a dozen employees. The disability role of D.Ed. was created because some states were refusing to educate children with disabilities.

The Office of Civil Rights, which enforces federal disability law and anti-discrimination policy, was gutted by both sets of cuts. It had 12 regional sites on Jan. 20, it may go down to a site or two in the next month or so. The department’s processing of race and sex discrimination complaints and disability complaints has slowed to a crawl. States such as Pennsylvania with strong civil rights laws on race, sex and disability discrimination can take up some of the slack, but their agencies are also understaffed.

The Institute of Educational Sciences (IES), a 2002 product of the Bush administration, provides high-quality data and analysis for state and federal governments on education. It has been recognized by Democrats and Republicans alike as a vital partner to school districts and policymakers at all levels. The Trump administration is refusing to publicize data on the needs of marginalized people. At this point, IES can barely function — it has a mere 20 employees left.

The D.Ed. has no role in hiring or curriculum for school districts nor can it condition federal funding based on either. Unfortunately, that did not stop the D.Ed. from issuing two letters that attempted to play such a role. “Dear Colleague” letters issued on Feb. 14 and April 3 threatened federal funding for K-12 schools (and universities) if they take race into account in a variety of decisions including hiring, admission and other aspects of “student, academic, and campus life.” This could potentially prevent honest classroom discussions in K-12 schools of slavery, the cruel displacement of Native Americans, and the Civil Rights movement. On April 9, in the spirit of state and local control, the Pennsylvania Department of Education joined several other states in signaling that it would change nothing in reaction to these letters.

The D.Ed. layoffs are not intended to save property tax dollars or improve students’ education. Instead, they place additional burdens on states, school districts, and parents. Worst of all, they will harm students, especially those from marginalized groups.

Jesse Barlow is a member of the State College Area School District board of directors. His views do not represent the full board.