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What happens in Florida if Trump closes the Department of Education?

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What happens in Florida if Trump closes the Department of Education?

“It needs to be disbanded. We don’t need a federal Department of Education,” U.S. Senator Rick Scott said earlier this week, agreeing with President-elect Trump.

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President-elect Donald Trump said he wanted “Shutting down” the U.S. Department of Education – something he has repeated many times on the campaign trail along with his school choice promises.

“I’m going to move education back to the states, and we’re going to do it quickly,” Trump said. At a rally in Pennsylvania in October.

What does this mean for the state of Florida?

The education department not only funds programs for Florida’s most vulnerable children, but also funds Pell grants (aid that helps students go to college) and manages the state’s compliance with federal laws such as Title IX.

Critics of Trump’s plan say leaving it to states would divert money to the state’s Family Strengthening Scholarships, one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ major education initiatives, and allow discrimination against LGBTQ students.

But some of Florida’s top leaders in Washington agree with Trump.

“It needs to be disbanded. We don’t need a federal Ministry of Education” Senator Rick Scott said earlier this week.

And Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. He hasn’t weighed in specifically on the idea, but he’s no fan of the ministry either.

This week, in response to a proposed federal education data collection rule change, he posted on X: “I look forward to helping the @realDonaldTrump administration put an end to this bureaucratic and divisive nonsense.”

Nearly 1 in every 5 dollars spent on education comes from federal funds

Florida schools receive funding from local, state and federal funds. Those federal funds make up about 18%, according to the Florida Policy Institute (FPI), a nonprofit think tank in the state. For this year, that’s about $10.5 billion, according to Norin Dollard, FPI’s senior policy analyst.

“Ensuring that maximum resources are available to support student learning requires all three levels of government,” Dollard said.

While the department directs most of the federal government’s funds to the states, other agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Labor, Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, also directly fund state programs.

For example, Leon County Schools received $19.6 million in federal funding from the USDA for the National School Lunch program.

Federal funds flowing through the department Dollard said he supports the population of children in Florida who are most at risk of not graduating from high school.

English language learners, Title I schools that serve a higher concentration of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and students with disabilities depend on federal funding provided to the state for programs.

This year the feds gave Florida more than $830 million for special education programs, with more than $1 billion earmarked for “Education of the Disadvantaged.” According to data from the feds.

Critics worry money will be siphoned off to pay for private school vouchers

In recent years, under DeSantis’ guidance, the legislature has expanded school choice vouchers; It’s a move that worries Florida’s teachers union president, Andrew Spar; because he believes that if left to state leadership, the most vulnerable children will be affected. Trump sent Education Department money directly to states.

Since there is no limit on family income, every student in Florida can qualify for a scholarship. approximately $8,000 in vouchers. Ability to attend the private school of their choice with the Family Strengthening Scholarship using public dollars, provided that the private school accepts it.

“These are dollars from public schools,” said Spar, president of the Florida Education Association.

According to FPI, The price of these vouchers is increasing: $2.8 billion was allocated to vouchers this year, compared to $2.1 billion in 2023-2024 and $1.4 billion in 2022-2023.

“The U.S. Department of Education is really a watchdog,” and leaving it to DeSantis would put students with special needs and students in poverty at risk, said Spar, who believes that bucketload of money could be spent on other initiatives aligned with the EU bill. The governor wants it.

But some of the funding the state receives aligns with the governor’s education agenda.

The state receives over $82 million in career and technical education (CTE) state grants. in 2019 DeSantis set a goal It aims to rank Florida first in the nation for workforce education by 2030 and has devoted billions of dollars to CTE since then.

February is considered career and technical education month in Florida. “This strategic commitment prepares the next generation for success by fostering a thriving economy based on a highly skilled and educated workforce,” Diaz said. in a press release this year.

Will Title IX no longer include transgender students?

The department is also responsible for ensuring that states comply with federal laws such as Title IX, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding.

But Florida has struggled with the federal government’s new interpretation of civil rights law over the expansion of protections based on gender identity. Some Florida lawmakers worry Trump will encourage DeSantis’ attack on the transgender and LGBTQ community.

In recent years, Florida Republicans have pushed for laws that would criminalize transgender people from using the restroom that matches their gender identity and restrict health care for transgender people.

in April, At DeSantis’ direction, Diaz warned superintendents and school districts to hold off on implementing any changes to Title IX. Florida joins other states, including Louisiana and Oklahoma, in opposing the feds’ new regulations. In August, The judge issued an interim injunction to the state It’s against the new rules.

DeSantis called the new regulations a “radical rewrite” and said the rule would “impose gender ideology on K-12 schools across the country.”

On one of his first days on the campaign trail, Trump echoed DeSantis’ efforts and promised: Roll back protections for transgender students.

at Iowa in 2023Trump said he would cut federal funding to schools that teach “critical race theory,” “transgender craze,” or “other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content aimed at our children.”

“We are seeing a complete reinterpretation of these programs to not only discriminate against LGBTQ+ students, but to eliminate protections for girls,” said State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, D-Orlando.

“At least the Biden administration had some guardrails, and I worry that they will be replaced by hostile individuals who will weaponize their positions to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals across the country,” he said.

Ana Goñi-Lessan is USA TODAY – Florida State Observer Reporter and can be reached at: [email protected].

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