The U.S. Department of Education sends money to school districts, manages financial aid and enforces laws for students with disabilities.
President Donald Trump wants to close the department, and shift duties to the states or other federal agencies. The department on Tuesday announced a nearly 50% reduction in its workforce, including 600 voluntary resignations and more than 1,300 people being placed on administrative leave as of March 21.
Northeast Pennsylvania congressmen called for an overhaul of the department Wednesday, while the news and uncertainty of future funding worried some educators.
“Let’s be clear. This isn’t about reforming how government works. It is about dismantling public education as we know it, putting teachers and support staff out of jobs, and giving up on a generation of students,” said Aaron Chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association, and a Stroudsburg Area teacher.
Members of the Scranton Federation of Teachers, and other educators in Lackawanna County, protested potential cuts last week.
U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a first-term Republican who represents the 8th Congressional District, had a different perspective. He said he wants to focus on students and increasing achievement, not protecting “bureaucrats” in Washington, D.C.
“Clearly, more government bureaucracy has not led to a better education for our students,” he said in a statement. ”It is time to fix our broken education system by cutting the government bureaucracy and have the funding focus on the students. Pennsylvania should take the lead on finding innovative ways to inspire our students in the classroom and equip them with the tools and curriculum they will need to become the 21st and 22nd century workforce America will rely on.”
With the reduction, the department will continue to maintain statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell grants, funding for special needs students and competitive grantmaking, according to the department. Trump needs Congressional approval to abolish it.
In an interview with WVIA News last month, Gov. Josh Shapiro said the state would be unable to meet the “burden” if the federal government shifts responsibilities to the states.
“It's going to harm children here in Pennsylvania and across the country,” he said. “It's my hope that as they make these cuts in Washington, they'll have some compassion in their hearts and a real understanding of how those cuts would negatively impact our school districts. We have worked so hard to reinvest in public education in Pennsylvania to fix our unconstitutional system. If they cut funding in Washington, it will set us and other states back.”
The 8th and 9th Congressional districts receive more than $343 million in federal education funding yearly, much of it through Title programs for school districts. Title money helps reduce class sizes, employ math and reading specialists and support English language learners. Cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency have included $900 million for federal education research. In an appearance on Fox News this week, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Trump is taking "bureaucracy out of education so that more money flows to the states."
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican representing the 9th district, said the department needs a “complete overhaul.”
“That’s exactly what President Trump and Secretary McMahon are committed to delivering,” he said in a statement. “Their goal is to stop wasting taxpayer dollars and ensure resources are directed where they belong — back to the states, where the Trump Administration believes public education should be administered. While we want to return funding to the states, that’s only part of the solution.”
Meuser also advocated for school choice in his statement.
As of the 2022-23 school year, the Carbondale Area School District in Lackawanna County received $5 million in federal funding — about 15% of its total budget. The percentage is one of the highest in the state. On average, the budgets of the state’s 500 school districts included 6.4% of federal funding, according to state data.
The dismantling of a department is not equivalent to cutting funding, Superintendent Holly Sayre said.
“I know there is uncertainty right now, but I think we need to press pause and see what guidance we receive from USDE and/or executive orders.” she said.
Hazleton received $31.8 million, or 14.5% of its budget, in 2022-23. While the Trump Administration said it plans to continue Title and IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) funding, the dissolution of the department and impact on the Luzerne County district is known, Superintendent Brian Uplinger said.
“It is essential to consider these potential impacts carefully and advocate for solutions that ensure continued support and protection for all students,” he said.
