On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the United States Department of Education.
According to the Associated Press, Trump signed the order at a White House event, directing U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”
However, because the United States Education Department was established by Congress, legal experts believe the federal agency can only be dismantled with congressional approval.
What would the agency’s demise mean for thousands of California school districts that rely on funds from its nearly $242 billion federal budget and programs?
The Trump administration has already laid off nearly half of the Department of Education’s 4,133 employees, with more planned.
In response, approximately 20 state attorneys general, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, sued the president to halt the mass firings.
Here’s how education dollars are allocated in California, and what the impact on schools across the state could be:
What does the U.S. Department of Education do?
During President Jimmy Carter’s administration, Congress established the United States Department of Education in 1980 to “strengthen the Federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual,” according to the cabinet-level agency’s mission statement.
The federal agency was created to supplement and complement state and local efforts to improve the quality and utility of education, as well as to collaborate with the private sector, nonprofit research institutions, and other organizations.
It serves students from kindergarten to graduate school.
How does the U.S. Department of Education work?
The department distributes funds to each state through dozens of grant programs, some of which are entitlements and others awarded through a competitive application process.
The grants are intended to improve education for specific populations, such as students with disabilities, homeless students, and migrants.
It also administers the federal Direct Student Loan Program and Pell Grants, both for higher education.
Can President Trump abolish US Education Department with executive order?
While Trump has stated that he will do so, legal experts have stated that the cabinet-level agency established by Congress can only be abolished by Congress.
Project 2025 requires the president to consult with Congress on education policy and decide what to do with the department and its funding.
How much federal education money comes to California?
The Legislative Analyst’s Office reported that federal funding accounted for approximately 6% of funding for California schools serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the 2024-25 academic year, totaling $8 billion.
According to Newsweek, California is expected to receive $2,750 per student from kindergarten to the 12th grade in 2025.
Federal funds are particularly important in supporting education for disadvantaged and disabled students.
Have California school districts already been impacted?
Federal staff cuts at the US Department of Education have already had an impact on school services, Elk Grove Unified School District Board President Michael Vargas previously told The Sacramento Bee.
This includes the district’s Unified Family Communication Department, which helps make budget and program decisions.
Elk Grove serves over 62,000 students, of whom 53% are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Several district schools rely on Title I funding to help underserved students.
The Title 1-A program, which authorizes aid to disadvantaged students, is the “primary source of federal aid to elementary and secondary education,” according to a Congressional Research Report.
According to the California Department of Education, Title I, Part A funds are “used to support effective, evidence-based educational strategies that close the achievement gap.”
“If the Education Department were to be eliminated, the most likely scenario is that Title I money would flow through another federal agency,” education website Hechinger Report stated in an article on November 22.
However, any cuts would require congressional approval.
“Not having federal support is a big deal, right? “That’s a major issue for us,” Vargas said.
Sacramento City Unified School District Board President Jasjit Singh told The Bee that he is concerned about students’ access to college loans and grants in a system “that is already difficult to navigate.”
The state could also lose $3.8 million in Title II funding for California’s Literacy Initiative, which aims to implement “evidence-based practices aimed at achieving reading by third grade and beyond.”
The Trump administration revoked funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in schools, affecting $4.6 million in INSPIRE grants for bilingual and special education teachers at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
Threats to federal funding prompted the University of California system to announce a hiring freeze and remove diversity statements from hiring processes.
