Trump Administration Attacks Education, Echoing Project 2025 Blueprint"

The Trump administration has signaled plans to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. This mimics the plans outlined in section 3 chapter 11 of Project 2025:

“Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated” (p. 319).

Trump plans to cut programs and staff via executive orders and call on Congress to close the department entirely—despite 87.3% of Americans benefiting from the program.

The Trump administration is reportedly drafting an executive order which would eliminate the DOE.

The proposed cuts to the Department of Education would have significant and far-reaching effects on Americans, particularly students and families. These cuts would impact various aspects of education, from K-12 to higher education, and disproportionately affect low-income communities.

K-12 Education

School districts are already bracing for potential federal funding cuts, which could lead to larger class sizes for your kids, fewer resources, and reduced support for vulnerable students.

Title I funding, which supports schools with high concentrations of students living in poverty, could be phased out over the next 10 years. This could result in the loss of 180,000 teaching positions, affecting 2.8 million students in low-income communities.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that ensures students with disabilities get the specialized education and services they need in public schools. Right now, the federal government helps fund these programs, so schools have resources like special education teachers, therapists, and assistive technology to support students with disabilities.

If IDEA funding were turned into block grants or a private school choice program, it could mean less funding and fewer protections for the 7.5 million students who rely on these services. Here’s what that could look like:

- Block Grants: Instead of guaranteeing funding based on need, the government would give states a set amount of money, which might not grow even if more students need help. Schools might have to cut back on special education services, leaving students without the support they need.

- Private School Choice Program: Some funding could be redirected to private schools through vouchers or similar programs. But private schools aren’t required to follow IDEA like public schools are. That means students with disabilities might lose key legal protections, like the right to individualized education plans (IEPs) and necessary accommodations.
  - This private school voucher program lets families use public funds for private schools. Wealthy urban families would benefit most since they have plenty of private school options, while rural communities, with fewer choices, could see their public schools lose funding and weaken.

Changing IDEA’s funding structure could mean less support for students with disabilities, making it harder for them to succeed in school and beyond.

Head Start programs, which provide vital childcare and preschool education for low-income children, are facing funding delays that threaten their ability to stay open. These programs have been unable to access federal funds, impacting staff pay and the ability to cover essential expenses like utilities.
- Nationally, Head Start serves over 750,000 children.

Higher Education

Federal student loan programs at risk: If the management of the $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio is transferred to the Treasury Department, borrowers might experience changes in loan servicing, repayment options, or customer service.

Higher education could become more expensive and less accessible for families.

Civil Rights and Accountability

The Office for Civil Rights may be moved to the Department of Justice, potentially weakening its ability to protect students against discrimination based on race, gender, and disability.

The absence of strong federal oversight could leave millions of students vulnerable to discrimination, leading to lower levels of motivation and academic achievement.

Cuts to the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences, which tracks the progress of American students, could hurt the accountability of the education system.

Economic Impact

In states that heavily rely on federal education funding, many of which voted for Trump, the cuts could lead to teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, and reduced support for vulnerable students.
- In 2022, school districts in Mississippi, South Dakota, and Arkansas relied the most on federal funding.

These proposed cuts would significantly alter the educational landscape in the United States, potentially widening existing disparities and making quality education less accessible for many Americans.