Education Department cuts could worsen Tampa Bay area schools' woes
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The Trump administration says it wants to empower local schools by dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.
- The catch: Local school districts in Florida and nationwide already are struggling with teacher shortages, falling test scores and budget cuts.
Why it matters: Those measures of instability — along with ongoing debates over what should be taught, and how — are just a few of the problems local systems are facing as the White House signals that less help could be coming.
- It's unclear precisely how the Education Department's demise will affect federal funding to local school systems.
- Federal funds now make up an average of about 14% of a public school system's budget, with more typically going to lower-income areas.
Between the lines: In Florida, federal funds made up about 17% of public school funding in the 2022-23 fiscal year, per the state Department of Education.
- But in recent years, districts also relied on additional federal stimulus funds approved during the pandemic.
- Hillsborough County schools were allocated $766 million over three cycles, while schools in Pinellas and Pasco counties got $300 million and $201 million, respectively, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The big picture: The Trump administration's push against federal mandates in education is based partly on the notion that local school officials best know how to shape their schools.
- At the same time, the administration is threatening to withhold federal funding from districts that don't follow President Trump's demand that they end diversity policies and restrict the teaching of subjects such as racism in America. (That demand is now the focus of a court battle.)
- Many education advocates fear public schools' problems are likely to get worse as the Department of Education fades away — especially if resources decline.
Zoom in: School districts across Florida are already bracing for steep budget cuts as officials prepare for the 2025-26 school year, after lawmakers proposed decreases to education funding amid declining enrollment — the result of the state's growing voucher program.
- Hillsborough County could see a more than $18 million shortfall, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Zoom out: Nationally, school districts' instability has been most apparent in the constant turnover among systems' leaders, education advocates say. Superintendents' firings and resignations have soared, preventing many school systems from adopting long-term, effective plans.
- In Florida, between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school year, 19.4% of all K-12 public schools experienced a superintendent transition, according to national data collected by Superintendent Lab.
The bottom line: The Trump administration's move to give local entities more control doesn't address long-standing issues in education.