PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Now that President Trump has signed an order to begin the process of closing the Department of Education, WPTV's Michael Hoffman went searching for answers.
Trump's executive order does not fully close the Department of Education — that requires an act of Congress.
WATCH: Breaking down funding for Palm Beach County schools
But the order does, according to the White House, whittle the DOE down to basic functions such as administering student loans, Pell Grants and resources for children with special needs.
WPTV reached out to the School District of Palm Beach County, the largest in our area, boasting nearly 200,000 students, to see how it is planning for the possible closure.
A spokesperson sent a statement, saying:
We are closely monitoring the changes in federal policy relating to education. Federal funding plays a vital role in supporting our students, teachers, and schools across Palm Beach County, and the School District of Palm Beach County remains steadfast in its mission to educate, affirm, and inspire every student we serve. We will continue to assess budget and policy developments and, as needed, collaborate with the School Board to take appropriate action to ensure the best possible support for our students, families, and staff.
According to the Pew Research Center, roughly 13.6% of total 2022 funding for public elementary and secondary schools came from the Department of Education. The School District of Palm Beach County tells me it gets $150 million annually from the department.
When we break down the money the district gets from the DOE, we can get a better picture as to what is theoretically safe.
The district gets $58 million per year toward Title I, affecting more than 100,000 students. Title I aims to provide federal funding to schools with a high percentage of low-income students.
$48 million is allocated for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to support special education and related services for children with disabilities.
Those programs, according to President Trump, will be “preserved” as the plan moves forward.
Education
How will Department of Education cuts affect students in Florida?
But that does still leave money on the table — roughly $11 million in funding for Title II and III programs. Title II, also known as the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grant Program, gets $7 million, affecting all students in the district.
Title III programs aimed at helping students learn English as a second language get $4.5 million. They are on the chopping block.
"President Trump is right to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), which has failed America’s students,” Evan Power, chair of the Florida Republican Party, told WPTV. “The DOE never executed its core mission of educating our children to prepare them for the future. Education belongs to the states. Period. President Trump was also clear that federal programs like Title I and similar initiatives will continue but be administered through other agencies. This is a victory for states and, most importantly, our country’s kids and families."
Democratic U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel just doesn’t buy it.
“They're dismantling the department,“ said Frankel. The federal government has a role, because one of our roles is to make sure that children everywhere in this country, whether they're living on a farm, right, or they're living in an urban setting, that they are treated fairly. They have really, what's called equal access, access to get educated."
Frankel tells Hoffman she and others in Washington do not believe President Trump and the Republican majority in the House and Senate have the votes to get the department fully closed, leading to a growing mountain of uncertainty going forward.
