photo by: AP/Ben Curtis

President Donald Trump, left, holds up a signed executive order as children hold up copies of the executive order they signed at an education event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 20, 2025.

President Donald Trump’s order calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department has complex implications.

The Republican president has argued the federal office hasn’t improved student outcomes and is unnecessary in a country where states and local districts primarily control education from funding to hiring and curriculum.

For decades, right-wing activists have called for eliminating the agency, which was created by Congress in 1979. As Trump remakes the federal government, he has assailed the department as wasteful and responsible for spreading “woke” ideas such as programs to support diversity, equity and inclusion and protections for transgender students.

The department has been largely responsible for oversight, enforcing discrimination laws and distributing aid money for schools with low-income students and students with disabilities. Federal funding makes up a relatively small portion of public school budgets, roughly 14%.

What Trump’s order means for American children and teachers

In the short term, students, teachers and parents likely won’t see much impact. Long term, it’s harder to predict.

It depends how Education Secretary Linda McMahon distributes the mandated functions of the department to other parts of government, including the states.

The biggest question is how the states will distribute the federal money the department sends to help educate students who are poor, disabled or still learning English and need extra support. School systems with weak property tax bases, including those in rural areas, depend on that money to pay teachers, pay for buses and buy classroom technology.

States such as Mississippi and Alaska depend on this money to fund more than 20% of school districts’ costs. Advocates worry that without federal oversight, state leaders could spend the money on anything they want, including vouchers to attend private school.

What Kansas education officials are saying about the pending changes

The Kansas State Board of Education — the elected body that oversees K-12 public education — and the Kansas Department of Education, which provides administrative support to the board, issued a joint statement on Friday. In it, they expressed gratitude that the federal government seems to be recognizing the primary role of states in providing education.

“Education is a state issue, and the State Board has constitutional authority over education,” the two organizations said in the joint statement. “We appreciate the federal government recognizing that role.”

The statement, however, also noted that the federal government has played key role in helping provide equitable access to education for students with disabilities, students from low-income families, and students who live in rural communities. Kansas leaders expect to watch closely for any signs that those programs are disrupted by the changes.

“While we have received assurances that funding will not be affected, we do not know yet what impact the elimination of federal oversight will have for programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and the Higher Education Act (HEA),” the statement read. “The administration has said there will be no programmatic disruption.”

The state department of education intends to be a source of information for local school districts in Kansas that are trying to determine impacts from the changes.

“We will clarify funding sources, policy implications, and legal obligations while maintaining close communication with schools to ensure a smooth transition with minimal classroom disruptions statewide,” the statement read.

The Journal-World reached out to the University of Kansas on Friday for comments about the announced changes at the U.S. Department of Education. KU is on spring break, and the Journal-World had not received a response as of late Friday afternoon.

What about student loans? Shouldcollege hopefuls still fill out the FAFSA?

Cuts the Trump administration has made already to the Education Department have eliminated hundreds of staff members and contracts dedicated to maintaining the Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA, website and helping users navigate the complicated form. But McMahon has said the federal programs will be maintained.

On Friday, Trump said the Small Business Administration would take over the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio. Conservatives, including former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, have talked about setting up a quasi-private bank to administer loans.

Users should expect some hiccups. The StudentAid.gov website was down for several hours last week as the remaining department staff tried to troubleshoot an outage.

Will public schools still feed children meals?

School meal programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture so they are not affected by Trump’s move to eliminate the Education Department. However, the USDA has cut a $1 billion coronavirus pandemic-era measure that helped schools and food banks to buy local farm-fresh food.

How soon could the Education Department go away?

States and other organizations are vowing to bring lawsuits to halt the dismantling of the department, which could slow things down.

Eliminating the department entirely would require an act of Congress. Republicans in Congress are planning legislation to eliminate the agency, but they face heavy opposition from Democrats.

In the meantime, Trump still has plans for the department. Even as he ordered its closure, Trump has tasked the department with rooting out and punishing schools that have diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.