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On March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the Department of Education to receive extensive staff and funding cuts, and for Congress to officially end the Department. It has become a policy of his administration to entirely eliminate the DoE, and turn responsibility for education over to the states.
In addition, the DoE has already laid off nearly half of its workforce, going from 4,133 workers to only 2,183 in a matter of months.
However, as with many of Trump's executive orders, it left more questions than answers. For example, the administration has said that the DoE will continue to provide Title I funding for low-income students and disabled students - but with no explanation of how that would occur if the staff and budget are slashed.
So what might this mean for schools going forward?
Possible Results of Defunding the Department of Education
- Overall School Funding
Currently, the DoE provides roughly 13% of educational funding across the nation, with around 90% of public schools receiving some form of assistance. Under Trump's plan, this would be mostly or entirely eliminated. It would be left to local areas to raise the taxes necessary to make up this difference or - perhaps more likely - cut more classes and services instead.
It's worth noting that the current 2025 budget is locked in, so major funding restrictions wouldn't begin until 2026.
- Low-Income Support
Low-income districts - especially those in rural areas - would be particularly hard-hit. Programs such as the Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) provide significant funding from the Federal government. There is currently no plan in place to replace that funding, which is necessary in some cases for such schools to exist at all.
- Disabled Student Support
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) would also be affected by this, significantly reducing the assistance available to disabled students who often require expensive specialized services. Again, no plan has been put forward to replace the funding.
- Impact on Student Loans
While less directly important to public schools, the role of the DoE in providing student loans and grants for higher education is also at risk. This could significantly reduce the chances of lower-income high school students being able to enter their college of choice.
BusBoss will be following this issue closely. In the meantime, if your district is looking for new ideas for reducing costs, contact us to discuss our affordable software solutions that improve transportation efficiency without sacrificing quality or safety.
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PRESIDENT
Sonia has been involved with BusBoss since the late 1990’s, and has personally overseen many projects for various customers ranging from large urban and suburban districts to smaller rural school districts from all over the country.
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