Saturday, November 8, 2025
The idea of shutting down the U.S. Department of Education has been a hot — and controversial — topic since President Trump proposed doing so earlier this month. Federal and state elected officials, and state and local education administrators, have raised concerns about what that could mean for school districts if it were to happen.
Earlier in February, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he planned to abolish the department by executive order, though he acknowledged that he would need the support of Congress and teachers’ unions. Since then, school district officials across Long Island have weighed in, saying that Trump’s plan could end, or severely disrupt, federal funding that supports students and educators alike.
“We have concerns regarding changes to federal regulations and supports,” Long Beach Board of Education President Sam Pinto said, “but we want to make sure that the state and the federal government do everything they can to help support local education.”
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the Long Beach district received over $8.4 million in federal funding in the 2021-22 school year, the most recent year for which those statistics are available, accounting for 5 percent of the district’s total revenue, or $2,320 per student.
In addition to overseeing federal education funding, the Department of Education, which was established in 1979, enforces civil rights laws in schools and collects student performance data. It administers Title I grants that support low-income students, funds special education through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, and offers Pell Grants to low-income college students. The department also supports school-improvement programs, mental health initiatives and after-school activities.
The State Education Department criticized the executive orders that Trump has already issued on public education, which have cut programs and funding, calling them ineffective and contrary to federal law. Federal legislation, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and IDEA, has long protected historically underserved students and those with disabilities, according to the state department’s website.
“Our children cannot thrive in an environment of chaos,” a statement on the website reads. “They need steady and stable leadership that we will endeavor to provide.”
On Feb. 9, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand joined other elected officials, teachers union leaders, students and parents at a news conference in Manhattan to warn of the consequences of closing the department. According to Gillibrand’s office, more than 2.6 million students in 4,800 schools across New York state could lose federal funding, including nearly $1 billion in annual support for a half-million students with disabilities. Nearly a quarter-million English language learners in state schools could also lose $66 million in annual funding, her office stated.
Gillibrand described Trump’s proposal as “a reckless and unconstitutional move” that could harm programs that help students in New York schools thrive.
“It is jeopardizing our nation’s academic progress and our role in the global economy at the expense of our children, and we cannot stand for it,” she said. “There should be no debate — defunding education defunds our future.”
The Long Beach school district did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
