Trump wants to end the Department of Education. What would happen in Florida?

Tampa Bay Times | By Jay Cridlin, Jeffrey S. Solochek, and Ian Hodgson | February 5, 2025

Grants, loans and issues tied to civil rights could all be affected.

After months of campaign promises to drastically remake the U.S. Department of Education ― and perhaps kill it outright ― President Donald Trump on Tuesday inched closer to putting a plan in motion.

The White House is preparing an executive order that would ask staff to look for programs and initiatives that could be ended or shifted elsewhere, and developing a proposal for Congress to back a law disbanding the department, according to the Associated Press and other outlets.

Trump and his allies see the department as broken, wasteful and outdated, arguing it forces diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives into schools. While states, not the federal government, are responsible for specific curriculums, the department has already fired dozens of workers that the White House has said were involved DEI programs.

Trump had yet to sign an order by Wednesday afternoon. But he indicated during a Tuesday press conference that he wanted his nominee for education secretary, Linda McMahon, to be on board.

“I want Linda to put herself out of a job,” Trump said.

What ending the Department of Education mean for Florida, a state whose polices have served as something of a roadmap for Trump’s education platform? We’ll know more if and when Trump issues an order. Until then, here are some answers.

How big is the Department of Education, and what does it actually do?

Established under President Jimmy Carter, the department has about 4,400 employees and an annual budget of around $80 billion. It oversees the nation’s $1.6 trillion student loan program; administers billions in grants to K-12 schools; enforces civil rights and equality laws and regulations, such as Title IX; and tracks a range of student and teacher data. It does not oversee Head Start (that’s Health and Human Services) or school lunch and nutrition programs (that’s Agriculture). More than 60 million K-12 and post-secondary students are impacted by its programs.

Could Trump actually disband the department?

Not unilaterally. Only Congress can vote to abolish a federal agency, as it did in 2003 when it ended the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and distributed its functions to other departments. The proposed order would urge Congress to consider such a move, thought it would likely face bipartisan opposition.

What roles does the department fulfill in Florida?

In addition to financial aid and funding, which includes grants to lower-income students and work-study programs, it oversees accreditation agencies. Accreditation has come under fire in Florida, as Gov. Ron DeSantis filed a lawsuit against the department challenging the constitutionality of the accreditation system. That case was dismissed in October 2024.

On the equality front, the department’s Office of Civil Rights currently has nearly 250 open investigations of discrimination at Florida’s post-secondary institutions, according to federal data.

How much federal money does the Florida Department of Education funnel into the state?

Approximately 10% of the state’s PreK-12 education budget, or about $2.5 billion, comes from federal funding sources, with much but not all of it funneled through the Department of Education. That includes Title I grants to support school enhancements for low-income children, and special education funding through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.

What would be the biggest impact on local K-12 schools? What about on college campuses?

Some officials noted the programs that the department funds and oversees are mandated by Congress or the courts. As such, they expected the money to keep flowing, even if the department were disbanded. The White House signaled during its effort to freeze competitive grants that it did not intend to stop these initiatives.

Some anticipate oversight for implementation and compliance with the rules would be handed to the states, similar to Medicaid. Others suggest private entities might have a larger role.

Issues such as curriculum, hiring, student transportation and maintenance are state and local matters, and that is not expected to change.

What would this mean for student loans?

For students applying for or awaiting loans or student aid, such as Pell grants, any change that would disrupt or delay payment could impede their ability to start classes on time — or at all. For those making loan payments, even those on forgiveness or income-based repayment plans, the dissolution of the Department of Education wouldn’t erase their debts. it would, however, likely lead to confusion among borrowers about what they should pay, and to whom, and when.

What are state and local leaders saying?

Sen. Rick Scott said last fall that he supports the move. So does Gov. Ron DeSantis, who during his campaign for president called the department “a big failure” and said it was time to “restore power to states and localities.”

State Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, on the other hand, called Trump’s push “a reckless attack that would gut critical funding, weaken federal protections for vulnerable students, and abandon our commitment to ensuring every child has a fair shot at success.”

Hillsborough County school board chairperson Jessica Vaughn raised concerns on social media about whether a shift in the responsibility would result in uneven accountability, perhaps deepening inequalities in education.

The Department of Education “plays a critical role in ensuring low-income and underrepresented populations get a fair shake at accessing a high-quality education,” said Braulio Colón, executive director of the Florida College Access Network. “For a growing and diverse state like Florida, even a minor disruption in support and oversight can set equitable achievement back decades.”

Others are taking a wait-and-see approach until any executive order actually exists.

“It’s not as if (federal regulations and funds) would cease to exist just because (the department) would cease to exist,” said Pasco County school board member Jessica Wright, also a teacher at Florida Virtual School. “Let’s see what actually happens before we get all of our feathers ruffled.”