Go Away US Dept of Ed

 Who Cares if there is a US Dept of Education

During the campaign Trump promised to end the US Dept of Education.  It’s not entirely clear why he thinks this is important.   Of all the 15 Cabinet level agencies, Education is the smallest.  

The total federal investment in education is about 8%.   But all of that money does not come through the Education Department.  Head Start is funded through the Department of Health and Human Services and school lunches are funded through the Department of Agriculture’s school lunch program.   So, Education is not a significant source of funding to public schools.  Traditionally, education in our country is a state and local affair. 

The GI Bill provides funds for veterans to go on to higher education.  Impact Aid provides funds to school districts that have high concentrations of military installations for which district receives no property taxes, the primary funder of schools.

Perhaps the rub for Trump is that the Department of Education does administer Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  The Title I program provides funds to schools with high concentrations of poverty.  Student higher ed loans are also processed through the Department.  Perhaps it is these programs that Trump may view as DEI programs that get in his craw.

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) operates as a civil rights act for children with disabilities.   It is funded through Congressional budgets each year.  Other than providing a pass through of funds to state education departments, the US Department of Education also monitors state departments of education to ensure that they remain in compliance with the law.  If the US Department of Education is gone, this function may shift to the Department of Justice where it  probably will slide down the priority scale. 

Do we need a Department of Education?  It has only existed for about 45 years.  It was created by Congress and can only be eliminated by Congress, but Trump can starve it to death cutting staff and fund.  Who will care?