Donald Trump, our presidential re-elect, who entered the White House on January 20, will bring changes to our nation, including many potentially affecting education throughout the country.

Trump plans to “abolish” the Department of Education (DOE), which is the agency that sets policies, administers, and receives the most federal aid in special education. Removing the DOE could potentially alter factors in education.

“One thing I’ll be doing very early in administration is closing up the Department of Education,” President Trump said in a video posted on his YouTube channel in October 2023.

First, the DOE runs Title 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the money gained here usually goes to educational technology and materials. Without the DOE, Title 1 funding would initially move to block grants. A change like this could cause fund delays and overall failures to get money where it is intended to go. This could lead to students being less engaged in education and decreasing test scores, graduation rates, and attendance.

Naomi Durall, a freshman student, addressed her concerns about her education. “It will affect our education and our ability to learn and grow and our future, and I feel like it’s going to really mess it up,” Durall said. Though nothing is confirmed yet, students and teachers at our school show genuine worry about our future in education.

As for special education, students with disabilities may face the most significant loss. According to chalkbeat.org, special education students could find themselves receiving less immediate attention as well as potentially jeopardizing data found from researching students with disabilities. Removing the ED can also worsen the teacher shortage, especially among special education teachers.

Amy Trezak, a special education teacher at GPS, also expressed her concerns. “It’s going to take away funds from schools, and it is going to make it harder for kids to succeed in general”, Trezak said. “Of course, that is going to have more of an impact on kids with special needs“.   Because Trezak is a community-based teacher, she may not have the resources and funds to offer work-based learning for her students.

ELA teacher Lauren Skvorak shared her thoughts on how this may affect special needs students at Griffith High School. “Students could miss out on their opportunities to have IEPs and 504s”, Skvorak said. “I think education will be even more challenging than it already is. The teacher shortage will increase, and our literacy as humans will decrease”. She also stresses that her teaching methods may have to change if the Department of Education is removed.

If Donald Trump follows through on his promise, removes the ED, and sends education back to the states, there could be significant changes. Whether it is funding, special education, or the learning environment, change can take place. So, as our president re-entered the White House on January 20, the Department of Education may take a leave sooner or later.