What Happens to K-12 if the Department of Education Shuts Down?

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that would direct the dismantling of the Department of Education (DOE). Trump had been pursuing the closure throughout his 2024 campaign, and it was among a list of policy recommendations in Project 2025.

The order instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to take all steps to facilitate the closure of the department while continuing to deliver services.

The DOE manages $1.6 trillion in federal student loans and billions in funding for school programs, including school meals, support for homeless students, and civil rights enforcement, accounting for about 14 percent of public school budgets.

While education is largely managed and funded at the state level, closing the department may have profound effects on the teaching and performance of students across the country. Ahead of Trump's expected announcement, Newsweek asked experts and leaders in K12 education to explain some of their biggest concerns.

Funding For Disadvantaged And Disabled Students

Among its most significant duties, the DOE distributes funding for marginalized and disadvantaged students through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

As published by the Congressional Research Service in 2024, Congress appropriated $29 billion in Fiscal Year 2023 for students and schools encompassed by the Act, which include children in poverty, migratory students, neglected and delinquent students, programs to support English learning, and programs to support rural education, among other efforts.

As reported by the National Education Association, it's estimated that 26 million children living in poverty receive support under Title 1 of the ESEA/ESSA.

The DOE also distributes and administers funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides support for 7.5 million students nationwide.

Educators and school leaders have been able to rely on the DOE to help ensure that funding is delivered appropriately. Without the department or a significantly restructured one, there are fears that those payments will not be administered.

Zeph Capo, a public school science teacher and president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, told Newsweek that without the department's enforcement, specialized funding could end up elsewhere.

"There's not been a year that either myself personally or any of my leaders in school districts across the state have not had to fight and advocate to make sure that the resources intended for special ed kids work weren't diverted to other programs," Capo said.