Funding loans, ensuring equality, and critical race theory: Why Trump is trying to close down the US Dept of Education

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - WASHINGTON, Feb 21 — U.S. President Donald Trump’s stated goal of closing the Department of Education comes after a long Republican-led push to chip away at the agency’s funding and influence.

Like other U.S. agencies, the Department of Education’s budget is determined by Congress, and any changes to its funding would technically need to be passed there.

However, Trump and his adviser Elon Musk have gutted some other U.S. government agencies and programs without Congressional approval. A judge on Tuesday rejected a bid to bar Musk’s team from the department’s data.

What does the Department of Education do?

The department, commonly known as USDOE or ED, oversees some 100,000 public and 34,000 private schools in the United States.

It is not the source of the bulk of public school funding, more than 85 per cent of which comes from state and local governments collecting property and other taxes from residents. Instead, it provides federal grants for needy schools and programs, including money to pay teachers of children with special needs, fund arts programs and replace outdated infrastructure.

It evaluates public and private schools for the quality of their curricula and whether they are following guidelines intended to ensure all children in America get equal access to education. The department enforces Title IX guidelines which prohibit sex discrimination in education.

It also oversees the US$1.6 trillion (RM7 trillion) in student loans held by tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford to pay for college outright, and the approximately US$30 billion a year Pell Grant program for lower-income college students.

Civil Rights-era laws requiring equal education for people in the U.S. no matter their race, income or gender gave the department more responsibility and authority. It became a cabinet-level agency in 1980.

Linda McMahon, U.S. President Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Education, testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025. — Reuters pic

What is its budget?

In 2024 the U.S. Congress appropriated US$79 billion to the department for discretionary programs, or ones that are not specifically authorised by an existing statute, meaning they could be the easiest to cut.

This funding goes to programs that educate homeless kids, provide arts education and support a national centre for the deaf and blind, among other things.

The total 2024 fiscal year budget of US$251 billion also included mandatory spending including the student loan program, Pell Grants and grants for vocational training.

The department’s budget ballooned during the COVID-19 pandemic as federal funds were allocated for virtual classes, school ventilation and other programs.

It has about 4,100 employees.

Which states benefit from Department of Education funding?

U.S. states with more students per capita, lower local taxes, poorer districts and more rural areas are big beneficiaries of Title I funds, which the DOE disperses to make up gaps in local funding.

Alaska, North Dakota, Montana, Kentucky and South Dakota are the top recipients of federal funds, on a per student grade K-12 basis, according to data compiled by the Education Data Initiative.

Students calling for diversity protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington October 10, 2012. — Reuters pic

Why is Trump trying to close the Department of Education?

Republicans were critical of the department under former President Joe Biden, particularly over student loan forgiveness and policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The once-obscure academic concept of “critical race theory” has also been frequently invoked by Trump and Republicans to criticise U.S. education and federal oversight.

On February 17, the Department of Education cut US$600 million in funding for teacher training on “inappropriate and unnecessary topics,” including the theory.

An academic framework most often taught in law schools but not in primary and secondary schools, critical race theory rests on the premise that racial bias – intentional or not – is baked into U.S. laws and institutions.

Conservatives have invoked the term to denounce curricula they consider too liberal or excessively focused on America’s history of racial discrimination. Supporters say understanding institutional racism is necessary to address inequality.

Republicans have long pushed “school choice” programs that use taxpayer dollars to send students to private and religious schools; Democrats argue they undermine the free public school system.

What do the department’s defenders say?

Defenders of the U.S. public education system say it is crucial to keep public education standards high, and accuse Republicans of trying to push for-profit education.

The department “plays a crucial role in ensuring equal access to quality education, protecting students’ rights, and holding schools accountable,” said Gerald Griggs, the president of the NAACP civil rights organisation in Georgia.

Miguel Cardona, Biden’s Education Secretary and a former teacher, said critics of critical race theory were “looking for a boogeyman to create ... a division” in a 2023 interview. He accused critics of “very deliberate attempts to attack public education so that a private voucher option sounds better.”

How many children use public schools in the US?

The vast majority of U.S. children attend the country’s free public schools, which are a big employer and economic engine.

The U.S. public elementary and secondary schools system starts with “prekindergarten” classes for children as young as three and runs until they are about 18 years old.

It included some 49.6 million students and 3.2 million teachers as of autumn 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. There were about 5.5 million students in U.S. private schools in autumn 2021, according to the latest available NCES figures. — Reuters