(The Center Square) – Republicans are working to assure the public that President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education will have a less catastrophic effect than Democrats have claimed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., explained in a press conference Wednesday that the president’s reported intent to abolish the department will empower parents and “return American education to a place of prominence and success.”
“See, we believe in the core principle that education is best handled by the people closest to the kids,” Johnson said. “It means local districts, local school boards, it means at the state level rather than the federal level…the time has come, we’ve all seen the ratings. I mean, the U.S. is falling far behind other countries because the system is not working.”
The National Assessment of Educational Progress’ 2024 results showed that secondary school students have still not fully recovered from learning losses from school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, as The Center Square previously reported.
According to its website, the Department of Education’s elementary and secondary programs serve more than 50 million elementary and secondary school students by providing funding to school districts for special education, school improvement, and low-income student assistance programs.
The department also provides Pell Grants and the federal student loan program, impacting more than 12 million postsecondary students.
But the vast majority of nationwide education funding comes from state, local and private sources, according to the department’s website. The National School Lunch Program, Head start program, and tax credits for higher education expenses would not be affected if the Department of Education were abolished.
Democrats, meanwhile, have pledged to fight any attempts to close the department.
Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Ga., a ranking member on the House Education and Workforce Committee, told lawmakers in a Wednesday hearing that “I and every Democrat will do what we can to ensure that the department continues.”
