Funds Saved from Shutting Down the DOE Should be Allocated to School Choice

Several House Democrats expressed their dissatisfaction after being denied entry to the Department of Education last Friday.

Word has reached them that President Trump may soon issue an executive order to dismantle the department, prompting a state of alarm among the Democrats.

Established in 1979 by Democrat President Jimmy Carter primarily as a political favor to the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the nation, this department has a controversial history.

The union itself often functions as a vehicle for funding leftist agendas: over 98% of their political contributions during the 2024 election cycle went to Democrats.

This troubling alliance is not new; for the past thirty years, their contributions to Democrat candidates have consistently exceeded 87%, according to data provided by OpenSecrets.

It’s no surprise that Democrats are in a frenzy. The truth is coming to light.

Now is the moment to eliminate this unconstitutional misuse of resources. President Trump campaigned on its abolition, was favored by voters concerning education, and secured a 9-point lead among parents. He has a clear mandate.

Eliminating the Department of Education and reallocating its budget among states would enhance local control, allowing states to spend educational money according to their needs—a beneficial shift for those that prioritize parents’ rights in raising their children.

In contrast, states like New York may misuse these funds, continuing to undermine educational freedom.

On the campaign trail, Trump acknowledged the potential risks of his proposal. At a rally in Pennsylvania, just six weeks before Election Day, he stated, “I’m going to close the Department of Education and move education back to the states.”

He mentioned that states like Iowa, which supports educational choice for all families, could effectively manage their educational systems, while “four or five [states] will be terrible.”

“California likely represents a challenge,” he added.

To mitigate this concern, any legislation passed by Congress to dismantle the Department of Education should stipulate that a state can only receive block-grant funding from the discontinued department if it possesses a comprehensive school-choice program.

This requirement would have minimal impact on red states, which are already advancing bills to ensure school choice for all families.

In fact, in the last four years alone, 13 states with Republican-controlled legislatures—including Tennessee, which acted just last week—have enacted universal school choice policies.

Recent years have seen more progress in school choice than the previous four decades combined.

This proposal would incentivize lawmakers in blue states, who are often beholden to union interests, to heed the voices of their true constituents: parents.

Congress could mandate that states implement a school choice initiative accessible to all families—through education savings accounts or scholarships—to be eligible for federal funding.

The stipulations could require that federal funds be allocated specifically for school-choice initiatives, or permit states to adopt a voucher system enabling state funds to follow the student, similar to practices in many red states.

Additionally, lawmakers could ban states from imposing arbitrary limits on the number of charter schools allowed, greatly benefiting the tens of thousands of families in New York currently on waiting lists for improved educational opportunities.

This would represent a rare instance where a federal requirement for funding would not undermine local control; after all, the most localized control comes from families, not the state.

School choice remains a core element of the Republican Party platform, with the GOP holding majorities in both the House and the Senate, along with the presidency.

Republicans have a unique opportunity to support Linda McMahon, the next secretary of education, in ultimately dismantling the Department of Education and placing educational authority back in the hands of parents.

Parents serve as their children’s primary educators, understanding their needs far better than bureaucrats situated hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Corey DeAngelis is a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and the nationally bestselling author of “The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools.”