States are facing billion-dollar gaps to support low-income students, students with disabilities, veterans, and more as a result of chaos by closing down the Department of Education
WASHINGTON– With Trump’s executive order to eliminate the Department of Education, states are scrambling for funding to support the education of millions of students left to fend for themselves. The Department of Education administers at least $30 billion to support education for kids with disabilities and low-income schools, helps prevent veterans from being predatorily pursued by for-profit schools, and manages federal student aid funding. That’s not to mention workforce development programs, career technical training, and Pell Grants that one-third of undergraduate students rely on to fund college – all of which could be threatened by this move.
As Trump shutters the agency, the states will confront this lack of leadership and a funding crisis of billions of dollars to ensure equitable and affordable education for students across America.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“Trump is taking an ax to our nation’s public education system – an unprecedented move that will have disastrous effects on the students who are the future of our country. Now more than ever, Democratic leadership in state legislatures is the last line of defense, and we will fight for every kid in every state to have access to a world-class public education that will expand economic opportunities and put this nation on a track for success.”
State legislatures will be faced with billions in cuts to our students and schools.
- States will need to make up for $15 billion in state funding for special education, previously provided by The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
- The Department of Education’s Pell Grants and work study resources help students afford college. Work study alone funds $1 billion for 600,000 students annually and one-third of all undergraduate students received a Pell Grant in the 2022-2023 school year.
- Without the Department of Education to block predatory schools that target veterans, states will have to take on oversight of schools and the protection of students who are veterans.
- States will need to make up over $1 billion in funding to implement job training in high schools, community colleges and universities.
- The Department of Education supports a pipeline of skilled teachers in rural and underserved areas. States will now have to fill a gap of over $15 billion in Title I funding directly to schools.
State Democrats have already stepped up to protect education and brace schools against federal funding cuts.
- Alaska Democrats have advanced a bill to permanently increase public school funding, which school districts said would help them prevent major cuts and reduce class sizes.
- Virginia Democrats passed a budget that included bonuses for teachers and directed hundreds of millions in additional funding to public schools.
- Democrats in Connecticut, Washington, and Oregon are working to provide more funding for special education.
- Connecticut Democrats are exploring how to fund meals for students if federal funding were to be cut.
- Democratic lawmakers in Vermont were working to prepare for possible federal cuts.
The DLCC is the official arm of the Democratic Party with the sole mission of building Democratic power in the states and setting the national agenda at the state level. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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