Last Thursday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to ‘dismantle’ the Department of Education.
Due to its legal nature, the full consequences of this decision and the Trump Administration’s further agenda will take time to discern.
In 1979 during the Carter Administration, Congress signed the Department of Education Organization Act, creating the Department of Education (DOE). The main purpose of the DOE is to distribute funding and aid for schools and students, and to protect equality in the school systems.
The President attempting to gut the department can result in students losing all of the financial aid they need to afford college.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), is the main financial aid form for prospective college students. DOE is entirely responsible for all of FAFSA's funding, which uses the majority of its budget.
Tennessee is set to receive $3,661,634,438 this year from the DOE, an undetermined amount of this will be rescinded, doing reprehensible harm to education in the state.
Tennessee is also one of the least fairly funded states in education, with large swathes of impoverished schools and a significant teacher shortage. Along with the $3.6 billion that could be totally cut, the state is already receiving $8 billion less in funding compared to the last fiscal year.
Teachers and administrations have been left in the unknown, College and Career Administrator, Mr. Stone, said, "I mean, we've just been told to just kind of keep our eye on it. but right now, it's just business as usual."
Mr. Stone indicated neither the school nor the county has provided information about the dismantling or what to do if it does happen.
"From what I'm hearing anyway, it should not affect things like Pell Grant or student loans. My understanding is that the plan is to transfer those like the Department of the Treasury or something."
The executive order signed by President Trump said, “consistent with the Department of Education’s authorities, the Secretary of Education shall ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law and Administration policy."
However, statements from the Trump administration have been contradictory.
The Trump administration's Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, claims that "critical programs will be protected " and that loans and Pell Grants will continue to be handled by the department. Yet Trump has been very vocal about completely eliminating the department "as quickly as possible."
It's also important to note that Trump is 'at war with DEI,' ending many diversity-related programs, so it's unknown how these policies will affect the education budget.
Project 2025, the 900-page manifesto detailing turning the government into a conservative state, which appears to be closely followed by the Trump Administration, talks at length about cutting government spending on education. This includes completely ending universal free school meals and Title 1 funding that helps low-income families.
It is unknown how the state will respond to these budget changes, but regardless, millions of Tennessee students are at risk of losing the education they rightfully deserve. We at the Trojan Tribune will keep you informed on the latest.
You are able to contact your local congressmen and women by emailing them:
Senator Bill Hagerty - https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/email-me/
Senator Marsha Blackburn - https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/email-me
TN-3 District Senator Chuck Fleischmann - https://fleischmann.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email
Governor Bill Lee - [email protected]
