BY MEGAN HENRY
As President Donald Trump continues to talk about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, Ohio educators worry what that could mean for federal funding that school districts across the state rely on.
Trump could issue an executive order targeting the department and he recently told his pick for education secretary, Linda McMahon, “to put herself out of a job.” However, Trump cannot get rid of a federal agency without congressional approval.
Ohio education advocates said that Trump’s efforts would hurt Ohio’s vulnerable schoolchildren the most.
“Students in poverty and students with disabilities are the ones who are most at risk of losing the support they need to succeed,” said Ohio Education Association President Scott DiMauro.
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The federal department doesn’t determine what is taught in schools. Instead, learning standards are set at the state level and curriculum is adopted by local school boards.
Ohio school districts on average receive about 10% of their revenue from the federal government, DiMauro said. About 90% of Ohio students attended public school during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
“Districts that have a higher percentage of students in poverty depend even more on the federal government for support,” DiMauro said. “So in higher poverty, rural, and urban districts, we can see those percentages be 20% to 25% or even more.”
It’s unclear what would happen to all that funding if the department was eliminated, DiMauro said.
The department allocates Title I funds, which are federal funds given to school districts with a high percentage of low-income students.
“We see Title I dollars go to virtually every single district in the state,” DiMauro said. “Over 808,000 students in Ohio directly benefit from Title I support.”
Central Ohio educator Larry Carey noted how much harm would be caused if the funds were taken away.
“These resources help schools address learning gaps, provide interventions, and create safe, inclusive environments,” Carey said. “Without them, the futures of our most vulnerable students hang in the balance.”
The department also administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law guaranteeing a free public education for children with disabilities.
“Losing these protections would strip away vital services from children who depend on them the most,” Carey said.
Traci Arway, a Columbus City Schools special education coordinator, is particularly worried about what this could mean for education funding for those living with disabilities.
“It’s really scary,” she said. “How is that going to impact all of the service providers and employees, like myself, who a portion of our salaries are paid through IDEA funding to provide services?”
About 16% of Ohio public school students had a disability during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Ohio education department.
If the federal education department was eliminated, there would be fewer student support staff members and fewer wraparound services such as reading and math coaches, Arway said.
“I worry about our profession,” she said. “We are trying to prepare the future workforce of our country … It is hard to come in every day and mask the frustrations because the students shouldn’t have to feel that.”
Linda McMahon
Trump nominated McMahon to be education secretary on Nov. 19 and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held her confirmation hearing last week. The committee will vote on whether her nomination moves to the full Senate on Thursday.
McMahon is best known for her time as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. She led the U.S. Small Business Administration for about two years during Trump’s first term and served for about a year on Connecticut’s State Board of Education more than a decade ago.
“In some ways it’s like déjà vu all over again,” DiMauro said. “I think it’s important to have somebody who’s got a perspective of what it’s like to work with students in the classroom, or to run a school, or lead an education program. We just don’t have that here.”
Trump appointed Betsy DeVos to be secretary of education during his first term in office, despite her having no previous work experience in education.
“The bar was set pretty low with Betsy DeVos and McMahon just goes right under it,” Arway said. “Who knew the bar could go lower?”
