TAMPA, Fla. — President Donald Trump is giving more insight on his plan to dismantle the Department of Education.

After signing an executive order on Thursday, he announced on Friday which departments will oversee some of its key functions if and when the Department of Education is shut down.

What You Need To Know

  • The executive director of Families for Strong Public Schools says the Department of Education's dismantling could have devastating impacts on schools, especially in Florida
  • Damaris Allen worries what will happen to the most vulnerable students, like students with disabilities

  • Allen says considering Tampa Bay school districts have already had to go after millages and tax referendums to help supplement funding, any additional cuts could be devastating

The executive director of Families for Strong Public Schools says the dismantling could have devastating impacts on schools, especially in Florida.

Damaris Allen is a mother, advocate and proud product of Hillsborough County Public Schools herself. Now, serving as the executive director of Families for Strong Public Schools, she worries what the future may hold for students without the Department of Education, not only the funding the state receives from it, but also what will happen with students.

“Over 17% of our education funding comes from the federal government,” she said. “We’re one of the highest funded states, and given the way we fund education as a state, if any of that funding is jeopardized, or removed, we will be in very bad shape,” she said.

Allen also worries what will happen to the most vulnerable students, like students with disabilities. The DOE oversees programs and funding for those students, which Trump assured wouldn’t be impacted. On Friday, he announced that Health and Human Services will oversee special needs programs.

“They’re talking about sending the money down in block grants, and with block grants leave the strings that are attached, and those strings are what protects our kids, or what ensures our kids get services when they need them,” said Allen.

Those “strings” are part of the problem, though, according to Linda McMahon, Education Secretary.

“Governors would always like to see funding without any strings attached, but that is the goal of the president too is to have as few strings and regulation as possible,” McMahaon said. “He wants to improve education for children. He wants to get those dollars, even more dollars back to the states without the bureaucracy of Washington. So that’s our plan. That’s our goal.”

Allen says considering Tampa Bay school districts have already had to go after millages and tax referendums to help supplement funding, any additional cuts could be devastating, and she encourages families to speak up now.

“If anything we need to look at the ways the Department of Education isn’t meeting our needs, and we need to strengthen it and make it better for our kids and our kids’ future,” she said.

The Department of Education was originally created by former President Jimmy Carter in 1979 to oversee national education policy and administer federal grant programs for schools. It will take an act of Congress to completely eliminate it.

Trump says by dismantling the department, it returns education to the states, where he says it belongs.