KENT COUNTY, Mich. — With the swipe of a pen Thursday, President Donald Trump started the process of dismantling the Department of Education. Fully shuttering the agency would require an act of Congress, but the White House says the executive order aims to greatly minimize it.
This move fulfills another campaign promise. Trump has previously said the department is a sign of federal overreach and has tied it to culture war issues.
Now, this executive action is likely to face legal challenges. But what does the Department of Education do in Michigan? And what would happen if it's dismantled?
National Politics
Trump signs executive order to begin 'eliminating' the Department of Education
One core function is that the Department of Education sends federal dollars to schools. The Grand Rapids Public Schools budget depends on around 10% from the federal government.
A retired Grand Valley State University political science professor has been watching the cuts happen. She explains it's hard to understand how much this is going to impact Michigan long term.
“This is unprecedented territory that we're in,” Dr. Michelle Miller-Adams said.
Despite being a retired GVSU professor, Miller-Adams continues to research the education system in Michigan.
“I did a lot of research and wrote a book about the Kalamazoo Promise, and I've been working on this question of tuition-free pathways to college for about the last 19 years,” Miller-Adams said.
On Thursday, before signing the executive order to reduce the Department of Education, Trump explained he plans to preserve several functions.
“If you look at the Pell Grants, supposed to be a very good program, Title I funding and resources for children with special disabilities and special needs, they're going to be preserved in full,” Trump said.
The president has already cut the department down nearly in half from the more than 4,000 employees before he took office.
“We want to return our students to the states, where just some of the governors here are so happy about this. They want education to come back to them, to come back to the states, and they're going to do a phenomenal job,” Trump added.
So, what happens here locally?
“Simply downsizing the department or even closing the department does not mean that the funding streams go away, but they do get relocated but they do get relocated, and I think Of greater concern is that the personnel who are experts in structuring these funding streams are no longer going to be with the department,” Miller-Adams said.
She explained that the Department of Education has four key functions: administering $1.6 trillion in federal student loans; funding special education services for school districts around the country; enforcing civil rights law; and data collection on what is or is not working in education.
“I am concerned about really a lack of accountability resulting from these changes,” Miller-Adams said.
Miller-Adams expects to see pushback after this latest cut.
“I would expect lawsuits any day now saying he does not, because agencies created by Congress can only be closed by Congress,” Miller-Adams explained.
As far as higher education is concerned, she said Michigan has set itself up for success.
“Our governor and our Legislature, working in a bipartisan manner, have brought a lot of new financial aid resources online here in Michigan,” Miller-Adams said.
The Michigan State Board of Education President, Dr. Pamela Pugh, criticized Trump, adding that the federal government needs to do more, not less, for the children.
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