Recently, the Trump Administration has announced its plan to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE). Everyday we get up, go to school, sit in classrooms filled with furniture, and learn from our teachers, but have you ever thought of how this is all federally overseen or paid for? In 1979, President Jimmy Carter created the DOE. According to the government’s official website for the DOE (ed.gov), the department “establishes policy for, administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education.” As high school students in 2025, we haven’t experienced a world without the DOE; this applies to many 2025 teachers as well.

It seems abnormal to imagine a world without federal assistance for schools, but we’ve gotten to a point where this isn’t an imagination anymore; on March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to close the DOE. Whitehouse.gov explains, “The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Education 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.” Ed.gov expanded on this by sharing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s statement that “instead of filtering resources through layers of federal red tape” states will now “take charge and advocate for and implement what is best for students’ families and educators in their communities.”

The National Education Association, the nation’s largest professional employee organization, says that “the Department of Education is a critical champion in enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination and ensuring every student has access to an education that will help them reach their full potential.” Because of this, families were left in fear, not knowing what the DOE shutting down would mean for them. McMahon spoke on this and said, “Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them.” There is so much unknown to the public, but it’s important to know how this will impact individual communities, especially ours.

To gain perspective on how this impacts the Berkley School District (BSD), I spoke with Superintendent Mr. Francis. Mr. Francis explained that the DOE “provides funds for Special Education services, Title 1 (supporting low-income families), Head Start Early Childhood Services, and Food Service.” Each of these services are present in Berkley Schools. Mr. Francis continued by saying, “It also oversees the Office of Civil Rights, which ensures equal access to education and promotes educational excellence by enforcing civil rights laws in schools and programs receiving federal funds.” Evidently, the DOE does a lot for our district, but how does it directly impact the students and staff?

Mr. Francis shared, “Projected Federal revenues for 2024-25 are approximately $2.5 million dollars that support critical programs for our students.” Not only are the students benefiting from the funding of programs, but the DOE ensures that students receive equal access to education. While students are affected, so are staff. Mr. Francis touched on this by explaining that many BSD “employees who provide special education and Title 1 services are paid by these federal dollars.” He continued, “If we lose federal funding then we would have to use funds from different sources to continue services that are required by law.” With this being said, the shutdown of the DOE “could have unfortunate ramifications, especially if the shutdown decreases funding for the district.” This means that no matter what happens with funding the programs will still be required, so the district must use funds from other sources. This will directly impact the BSD because we will have less money overall.