The future of education in the U.S. could look different - and soon. In a move that's expected any day, the president has indicated he may call for the U.S. Department of Education to be dismantled, sending education policy back to the states.
The Department of Education, which was created by Congress, distributes billions of dollars for education nationwide.
San Diego Unified School Board Vice President Richard Barrera said he wants to keep the department intact.
"If we see delays for instance for funding for critical programs, that puts strain on the district and hopefully, that doesn't make its way down to the classroom, but it's something that we all need to be concerned about," said Barrera.
Barrera was on the head of the school board when former San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten was sworn in as deputy secretary back in 2021.
"These are programs that are essential to providing the education that students need not just around the country, but here in San Diego," said Barrera.
On the opposite side of the argument, some education leaders are on board with reform and said giving more control to leaders on the local level is best.
"A lot of discussion in K through 8 classrooms about gender, about sexual orientation, about all these things that sometimes adults have trouble talking about," said Andrew Hayes with Lakeside Union School District. "Why would we ask students to have these same conversations when they should be learning about math, reading, writing and that's one of the things that I've always maintained, is local districts know their communities best."
According to the Department of Education's website, it provides funding for several programs, one of those being Title I. That's money to districts that serve low income communities.
In 2022, the Department of Education gave out more than $15 billion in grants to economically disadvantaged students.
Another area? IDEA or the Individuals with Disabilities Act.
In 2024, the government funneled more than $15 billion to that program.
What will happen to the funding and to the department is up to Congress to decide.
The Department of Education also provides funding for Pell Grants and federal work study programs, which is financial aid to students in higher education.
