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Cuts to the Department of Education have some people fearing the impact on public schools nationwide. 

DOGE’s cuts to the DOE are causing anxiety for those working in the education system by calling into question how funding will work without the department. In Jacksonville, the DOE cuts—including the rescindment of a teaching grant intended for UNF—come at a time when nearby school districts already struggle to meet budgetary needs, and talking to local education system veterans reveals an even more complex picture.  

During the last month, DOGE announced that $881 million had been saved by contract cuts to the DOE. External analysts say this number is closer to $676 million.

DOGE even seems to have acknowledged a discrepancy between their announcement and the actual savings, listing $489 million in savings on their website. 

Local Funding Struggles

Due to the DOE cuts, UNF saw a $7 million grant terminated, which was meant to help with the teacher shortage in Clay County.

Schools in the Jacksonville area have been feeling the effects of budgetary restraints for a while now, even before President Trump took office for the second time. 

In Nov. of 2024, Duval County announced the consolidation of 12 schools due to a budget shortfall of more than $100 million. 

While federal funding does not account for the majority of public K-12 education, Duval did account for hundreds of millions of federal funding dollars in their 2023-2024 budget.

With the mass lay-offs at the DOE and speculation that the Trump administration will axe the agency completely, I think it is fair to wonder what the impact will be on local public schools. 

I talked to Sherrie Raulerson, former Superintendent of Baker County Schools, to help me sort through what budget cuts could mean for local public schools. 

Raulerson worked in the public school system for 38 years, starting as a kindergarten teacher in 1986. After teaching for 18 years, Raulerson was an assistant principal for a year, and a principal for three years. She was elected as Superintendent in 2008 and served in that role for 16 years. 

When speaking with her, she repeatedly emphasized how complicated school funding can be, especially for small counties like Baker. 

“It’s very cumbersome and can be very difficult, especially for small school districts,” explained Raulerson, “Large districts have grant writers that they pay to do a lot of that grant procurement.”

When I asked her about the canceled $7 million teachers grant, she indicated that the teacher shortage is a pivotal problem for public schools since it is hard to find high-quality candidates who want to enter the teaching profession.

“We want our top, intelligent people to shape the future and be a teacher,” said Raulerson. “But why would anybody spend all that to go to school… where they couldn’t support their family?”

She also explained that experienced Exceptional Student Education staff are especially hard to come by, and that is one area that the federal government does support for public schools.

A Future Without the DOE?

If the Department of Education does go away, the money it distributes will not disappear. 

Instead, states will be given block grants, which they will distribute as they see fit. 

In Florida, Governor DeSantis’ focus on school choice programs raises questions about how federal money will be spent. 

Raulerson did voice her support for Florida’s school choice programs but also indicated a deep concern with how the lack of public school funding will affect underprivileged children and the nation’s future as a whole. 

“If we don’t help the children in the public schools, our society is going to continue to spiral downward,” said Raulerson. “[Public schools] are where you change lives… If we’re going to make a difference with children and educate them, the funding has got to be there.”

After talking with Raulerson, I truly began to consider how broken the education system has already been. I was not unaware of the issues plaguing school systems, but with the chaos associated with the Trump administration’s budget cuts, it can be hard to keep sight of everyday problems.

While I disagree with DOGE’s strategy towards streamlining the government, I do think that the current education system needs major reworking. 

My overall takeaway? Public school funding is inherently complicated and inequitable. However, that does not mean we should simply remove the funding regulation.

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