Nova Dugan-Mezensky · February 19, 2025

Toolkit: Trump’s Plan to Eliminate the Department of Education

Updated 2.19.2025

Summary: Trump’s proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education is a direct threat to public schools, students, parents, and educators nationwide. The Department manages approximately $1.6 trillion in federal student loan debt, oversees implementation and enforcement of the nation’s special education law, and administers Title I, the main federal program aimed at improving outcomes for lower-income students.

58% of Americans are against closing the U.S. Department of Education, with only 29% supporting

This toolkit provides essential messaging guidance, key talking points, digital content, and the latest news updates on the dangerous consequences of Trump’s plan.

Main Message

Our students deserve more resources, more protections, and more opportunities – not less

Messaging Guidance

We all want to raise our children in a nation that values their education and provides for every child’s unique needs. The U.S. Department of Education helps to ensure that by providing valuable oversight and funding for our local public schools. If enacted, Trump’s plan would undermine education, stifle inclusion, and compromise the nation’s ability to address real-world issues.
Trump’s plan to remove federal education oversight disproportionately affects our most vulnerable students. Leaving 815,000 low-income and 270,000 students with disabilities in Ohio without the support they need to succeed.
Approximately 90% of students in Ohio—and 95% of students with disabilities—learn in our public schools. Eliminating the US Department of Education is equivalent to giving up on our future. Our students need more opportunities, more resources, and greater protections—not less.
What is dismantling the Department of Education really about? It’s about selling off our public schools to corporations and private equity companies so schools can be run to make a profit instead of to educate our kids. It’s about the destruction of our public schools.
Eliminating the Department of Education shifts financial burden to families, who may need to pay for expensive aides and specialized education out-of-pocket. Preventing low-income children from receiving adequate education and putting additional stress on families and their communities.
Right now, we must come together not just to stop Donald Trump, but to build a brighter future. By uniting across our differences and taking action, we can protect our freedoms and fight for lower costs, safer communities, and stronger schools – so that every family can thrive.

Ohio Focus: Messaging Guidance

Without federal funding for public education, Ohio would lose: $1.4B
According to Endunomics Labs at Georgetown University, 17% of Ohio children have a disability but the share of special education funding they receive is the smallest in the country (8.1%). As a result, Ohio is ranked dead last at 50th on our special education staff to special education student ratio. Meaning, without federal oversight, Ohio students with disabilities have the most to lose with the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.

Resources

UPDATES

Education Secretary Linda McMahon affirmed that mass layoffs are the first step toward shuttering the Education Department, a longtime goal of President Trump’s since his time on the campaign trail. The department terminated almost half of its workforce — some 1,315 staffers — and will now only have about 2,183 employees left.

Trump’s Plan To End The U.S. Department of Education: Ohio Impact

Trump’s order will disproportionately affect our most vulnerable students in Ohio. Leaving 815,000 low-income and 270,000 students with disabilities in Ohio without the support they need to succeed.
According to Endonomics Labs at Georgetown University, 17% of Ohio children have a disability but the share of special education funding they receive is the smallest in the country (8.1%). As a result, Ohio is ranked dead last at 50th on our special education staff to special education student ratio. Meaning, Ohio students with disabilities have the most to lose with the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.
Project 2025 eliminates the U.S. Department of Education, including Title I, which provides funds to ensure schools serving low-income students have additional resources to deliver a high-quality education beyond that which can be supported by local property tax revenue. Ending Title I would lead to the loss of 6,819 teaching positions, which serve 111,827 students, in Ohio.
How dismantling the U.S. Department of Education would affect Ohio school districts

Linda McMahon

Content: The Dangers of Trump’s Plan to Eliminate the Department of Education

Act Now!

Contact your congressmembers and let them know you support the U.S. Department of Education and the federal protections it brings for Ohio children.
Protect our children’s futures! The proposed elimination of the Department of Education would devastate millions of families—cutting critical services for students with disabilities, increasing inequities, and rolling back legal protections. We can’t let this happen. Join us in demanding Congress stand up for equal education for all students. Together, we can ensure every child has the chance to succeed. Sign the petition now.