What shrinking the U.S. Department of Education could mean for Georgia

“The Department of Education’s a big con job,” Trump told reporters last month.

A draft of the executive order notes that Trump can’t single-handedly shutter the department, The Washington Post reported. He would need the help of Congress, specifically the U.S. Senate, where he’d need to meet a 60-vote threshold. The president has also acknowledged he would need buy-ins from Congress and teachers’ unions to fulfill his campaign pledge to eliminate the department.

Diminishing the department could have profound effects in Georgia and other states. It budgeted $18.6 billion in Title I funds to schools in high-poverty areas for the 2025 fiscal year. It also budgets $15.7 billion for programs that support students with special needs. It provides student aid for colleges and universities, including Pell Grants. Trump has talked about giving more authority over education to state governments.

Linda McMahon, who was sworn in earlier this week as education secretary, said during her U.S. Senate confirmation hearing that it might make more sense for investigations of possible civil rights violations by schools or colleges to be handled by the U.S. Department of Justice instead of the Department of Education. McMahon also said during the hearing that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services might be a better fit for programs that support students with disabilities. About 10% of Georgia’s public school students have a disability and are eligible for special education services.

The U.S. Department of Education is expected to contribute more than $2.2 billion to Georgia’s public schools for the upcoming fiscal year, according to state budget documents. The University System of Georgia received at least $3.6 billion in federal funding during the 2024 fiscal year, according to an audit.

Congress created the agency for then-President Jimmy Carter more than four decades ago after his campaign promise to gain the support of a teachers union.

Some education advocates are worried that any funding gap could negatively affect families. Aarti Sharma is the vice president of policy and strategy at redefinEd atlanta, a nonprofit that works with schools in under-resourced communities. She’s concerned about families who rely on Title I and special education programs, which provide a variety of support services.

“In special education, (the funds include) getting your special education evaluation to speech therapy to an inclusive classroom,” she said. “If those funds were cut, those would be immediately felt by districts and by students and families.”

The potential cutbacks worry parents like Lola Green, who runs a nonprofit organization that helps parents of students with special needs. She also has a 9-year-old son who’s on the autism spectrum. He receives occupational and speech therapies as a result, but it’s unclear how — or if — those services will be administered if the department is diminished.

“If we believe all children can learn, how come we’re not helping all children?” she said. “So ... my biggest fear is it’s just all going to crumble down.”

Staff writer Jason Armesto and information from Reuters contributed to this report.