Questions remain about how potential cuts at the Department of Education could impact local schools
(ABC 6 News) – There is still much uncertainty over how an executive order signed by President Trump on Thursday to dismantle the Department of Education will impact local school districts.
The President says his goal in eliminating the federal agency is to return authority over education to the states, but state and local agencies aren’t sure yet how that will work.
Only about 8% of K-12 budgets come from the federal level. It doesn’t seem like much, but it helps fund critical programs for students.
Rochester Education Association President Vince Wagner says losing that funding would “devastate” Rochester Public Schools’ curriculum.
“It’s about $20-22 million annually,” said Wagner. “If you think about it, in retrospect, it’s more than the referendum we just passed.”
In Rochester, most federal dollars go toward funding special education.
“I don’t know how it would work to offset the loss of that, those funds. Providing special education is absolutely necessary and it’s expensive,” said Wagner.
Wagner says if special ed students don’t get the services they need, like note-takers or other support staff, it falls on the classroom teacher to make ends meet.
“That can lead to more disruptions in the classroom, less individual attention for all students. Nothing good,” said Wagner.
Money from the Dept. of Education also goes to Title I programs, which aim to raise achievement of low-income students who are performing below grade level.
Effects of losing the Dept. of Education would also go beyond K-12 schools.
“At a higher ed level, they also provide and oversee Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, funding for public universities, that would also just shift the cost onto students even more,” said Wagner.
Wagner says it would also affect higher education programs that place teachers into positions school districts are struggling to fill.
In President Trump’s executive order, he points to students falling behind nationwide in math and reading scores as to why the department isn’t working.
“Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them,” said Trump in the order.
Sub-par test scores are a problem RPS knows well, as the most recent state data shows the percentage of students in the district meeting standards in science, reading and math were all less than 50%.
RELATED: RPS test scores improve slightly but still lag behind state average
RPS officials say so far they haven’t been notified of any changes in funding or other requirements, and are still waiting to see how these changes at the top will trickle down locally.
On the state level, Minnesota’s Dept. of Education is still working to determine how the President’s order will affect local schools.
The state Ed Dept. launched a feedback portal where you can share your thoughts on the changes ahead.
President Trump’s executive order doesn’t list any timeline for when changes will take affect.