President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate the US Department of Education and return control of education to states presents a complex challenge. While the elimination of a cabinet-level agency requires Congressional approval, making it a difficult task, the incoming administration, fueled by a conservative backlash against public schools intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, could significantly alter the department’s budget and policies. This aligns with the aims of Project 2025, a conservative manifesto that also advocates for the department’s abolishment.
The Department of Education, employing approximately 4,000 individuals, distributes federal funding for programs targeting low-income and disabled students, manages student loans, and oversees civil rights policies in education, such as Title IX. While most US education is managed locally, with funding primarily from state and local sources, the department’s elimination represents a long-standing conservative goal signifying a desire to overhaul public education and potentially deprioritize public schools. Rick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, notes that abolishing the department without also cutting its funding would result in minimal practical change. However, the symbolic impact and potential consequences for K-12 and higher education remain significant.
Kelly Rosinger, associate professor at Penn State, argues that eliminating the department would send a detrimental message about the value of education in a democratic society and cause real damage. The conservative push to dismantle the department, established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, has persisted since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, though efforts to abolish it have typically failed to reach a vote. Republicans view the department as federal overreach and unnecessary bureaucracy, fostering undue influence by teachers’ unions and advocacy groups. They believe it violates the constitutional scheme by centralizing power in Washington at the expense of local communities.
Despite the lack of explicit constitutional mention of federal control over education, the federal government plays an established role in ensuring equal access to education and maintaining civil rights in schools. The department’s survival hinges on overcoming the Senate filibuster; Republicans lacking the necessary 60 votes to pass legislation without it. Many of the department’s programs, particularly funding for low-income schools and students with disabilities, enjoy bipartisan support. Elimination without fully dismantling the programs could see them transferred to other agencies, potentially reverting to a pre-1979 structure. However, this shift risks losing institutional knowledge and expertise in education policy administration.
Instead of federal programs, Republicans favor unfettered block grants to states, a proposal criticized for its potential to misallocate funds and gradually reduce overall funding. Programs like teacher training could be eliminated, and Biden’s student loan repayment and forgiveness plans could be reversed. Republicans are also likely to target policies promoting racial equity and gender equality, potentially rolling back Title IX expansions related to gender identity, as suggested by Project 2025’s proposals to expand school vouchers and parental control. These actions, Rosinger warns, could erode public trust in public education, justifying further defunding.