As the second Trump administration nears its 90-day mark, it is still unclear what will happen to the Department of Education. The agency, responsible for administering educational funds, overseeing FAFSA, and investigating discrimination within the American school system, appears to be at risk of being terminated. 

Founded on May 4, 1980, the DOE was formed with the goal of consolidating all of the federal government’s educational resources into one department. This restructuring of federal funds simplified educational spending, which had previously been divided among several agencies. This spending, predominantly financial assistance and grants for educational institutions, is spread out nationwide, with 17.28% of Florida’s 2024-2025 educational budget originating from Congress.

The department’s existence is being directly challenged by H.R. bill 899, which was introduced by House Rep. Thomas Massie on Jan. 31, 2025, to formally disband the department in 2026. Moreover, the future of this department seems to be in jeopardy with the recent confirmation of Linda McMahon as the head of the DOE.  Following her confirmation in March, she raised uncertainty about the department’s future in a memo she posted about the department’s Final Mission. “The Department of Education’s role in this new era of accountability is to restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington,” wrote McMahon.  

The memo, while suggesting the end of the DOE, doesn’t offer a clear answer to how the department’s $100 billion annual budget will be managed if it is dismantled. 

Should Florida not receive funds from the DOE, it would have a sizable effect on Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach Post reports that the school district received $117.5 million from the department this year. These funds are split among improving the quality of education available for low-income students, teacher training/recruitment, ESOL programs, and special care for students with disabilities. As the tenth biggest school district in the United States, with a student population last recorded at 190k+ in 2019, there is a strong need for federal funding to keep up with the ever-growing South Florida population. Losing this stream of revenue would result in a dramatic cut in programs offered by the district. 

These funds are especially important for Olympic Heights, where almost half of the student population is considered “economically disadvantaged” by the state, and 28% of our student base has been in or is currently enrolled in an ESOL program.  A reduction in funding for programs to help these groups can potentially affect the quality of education at OH.  

Despite growing pressure to dissolve the DOE from his cabinet, President Trump recently held off on signing an executive order to diminish the department’s capabilities on March sixth. Whether the administration is changing its mind or buying time for a plan to replace the DOE, this confusion over the DOE and what may happen to its funding has left many wondering what our education system will look like for the next four years.