President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for closing the federal Department of Education. The order directs the secretary of education to take steps to close down the federal office and put the power of education in the hands of individual states. Only Congress can eliminate the department, but already Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has made drastic cuts, including eliminating half of the staff.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in the White House when the President signed the order, along with other Republican governors and supporters, including members of the right-wing group Moms for Liberty. In a TV interview with FOX News, Gov. DeSantis supported the move while also saying that it is unlikely that Congress will codify the order.
“So while this is a good policy in the instant, we want it to stand the test of time. Congress has to be the one to do that,” he said. He also bashed Congress for not limiting the jurisdiction of the courts which have been pushing back on many of the president’s executive orders.
Andrew Spar, the director of the Florida Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state, says that in his conversation with education leaders nationwide, they see the order as amorphous and largely symbolic, yet still concerning. Spar says the order itself is “more about the show than anything else,” but that if the order is followed through on and approved by Congress, it could have a large impact on programs as soon as the next school year.
Programs for disadvantaged and disabled students
The state of Florida is estimated to receive over $10 billion in total from the federal Department of Education during the 2025 fiscal year, according to its website. This includes grants for a wide variety of programs, including $2 billion in Pell Grants for low-income college students.
There are 339 schools in Miami-Dade County receiving Title I funds, which are federal dollars to support schools with low-income students. In Broward, there are 198 Title I schools that could be impacted if the structure of education funding is changed the way the order describes.
One of the many schools that receives federal funding in Miami is Cope Center North which provides an education for pregnant women and young moms. Another program in Miami-Dade that may be impacted is the Migrant Education Program, which identifies students who may be transient due to their parents’ jobs in the agriculture industry. The program provides assistance and resources to these students.
The migrant program has received over $1 million in funding for the past few years. Sonia Martinez, assistant principal at West Homestead K–8, a Title I school that has migrant students who benefit from the program, said that federal programs such as free lunch, the migrant education program, and Title I funding are helpful to students, but she doesn’t yet know how the executive order will affect her students.
Federal funding accounts for 8 percent, or about $200 million, of Broward County Public Schools’ $6 billion budget, said Broward school board member Rebecca Thompson. Though school board members have not yet discussed Trump’s plans to dismantle the Department of Education on the dais, Thompson said she’s had some discussions with Superintendent Howard Hepburn and the district financial department on what BCPS’ options may be. “It’s hard to strategize for because we don’t actually know what this means,” Thompson said. “The main concern is how this is going to impact our most vulnerable students, and what’s going to happen to the funding if it’s no longer coming from the Department of Education.”
In a text message on Thursday, Miami-Dade schools superintendent Jose L. Dotres told the Herald that Title I funding and funding for disabled students are critical in Miami-Dade, but that the impact of the executive order is still unknown and the district is awaiting details. “We really work very closely with the Department of Education at the state level, and federal allocations usually channel through the state,” said Dotres. “What is important for us is making sure we are properly funded for services we have for students,” he said.
Bringing power back to the states
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said in a tweet “It’s time to return education to the states & in Florida, we will ensure our kids are not just at grade-level, but that they’re PROFICIENT.”
If federal money for education is given directly to the states in the form of block grants, states could then have the ability to choose how the money is spent. A statement released by the White House says states are “best positioned to administer effective programs and services that benefit their own unique populations and needs.”
But opponents of this say it could be dangerous for students with disabilities and under-served students, as some states could decide not to prioritize those groups and use it in other ways, such as for funding school choice voucher programs. These voucher programs give money to parents to subsidize their child’s tuition at private schools. The executive order also said that it shall ensure “the requirement that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology.”
While it’s unclear what happens next, Thompson encourages parents to stay informed but to not panic. As of now, nothing concrete has changed at Broward County schools, Thompson said. “This sounds very scary. I think that’s part of the point,” Thompson said. “I think people should be aware of what’s happening, but until we know what the actual effects are, try to stay positive. It’s really important that parents remain engaged, contact their representatives and make sure their representatives know how important these services are to their children.”
Miami Herald reporter Amanda Rosa contributed to this report.
