What a second Trump term could mean for Wisconsin schools and students

President-elect Donald Trump has promised major changes to federal agencies. But there is one: he is said he wants to eliminate outright: the US Department of Education.

Closing the department would require congressional approval, which experts on both sides of the aisle agree is possible — but likely not on the table.

“It’s very unlikely that this will happen,” said Max Eden, a senior fellow focused on education policy at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “I think it’s much more likely that there will be major action from within the department than for the department to close its doors.”

During Trump’s first term and on the campaign trail this election cycle, he proposed cutting K-12 education funding; punishing schools that promote diversity, equity and inclusion; and rolling back civil rights protections for students of color and LGBTQ students that were expanded under his Democratic predecessors, all of which could have major consequences for Wisconsin schools and students.

“There is still a lot of potential for students in schools to be harmed in other ways,” said Michelle Dimino, director of education at Third Way, a left-leaning public policy think tank.

Here’s what you need to know about Trump’s proposal, why it’s unlikely to gain traction, and how he could impact education over the next four years:

What does the federal education department do?

Republican calls to abolish the federal Education Department date back to the Reagan era. They view the agency’s existence as bureaucratically excessive and believe that education is better left to the states.

The department distributes some federal grants for programs such as the Title I high-poverty elementary and secondary education program and another special education program. But most of the money for public schools comes from state and local property taxes. Overall, less than 10% of K-12 school funding goes through the federal agency.

The department too conducts research and provides guidelines for best classroom practices, most of which are optional. But it has little impact on curriculum decisions, such as which books are appropriate for students.

Among the department’s major responsibilities are the administration of federal financial aid programs and federal student loans.

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative that provides a playbook for the new administration, proposes moving the department’s responsibilities and revenue streams elsewhere. For example, Title I funding would return to the states over a ten-year period under Project 2025. The Treasury Department would take over collections and defaults on federal student loans.

Why is it unlikely that the US Education Department will be closed?

The numbers just aren’t there. Although Republicans will have 53 seats in the Senate in January, experts say closing a federal agency would require a supermajority of 60 votes, and seven Democrats are unlikely to agree.

The Senate majority leader could eliminate the filibuster rules, paving the way for sweeping changes that could be made with a simple majority. Still, Eden doubted whether more moderate Republican senators would join.

“I think it’s a very legitimate threat that President-elect Trump is making, but the mechanisms to get rid of the department are too big a hurdle,” Dimino said.

What could Trump do within the department?

Education was not among Trump’s top priorities during his first term. He rolled back President Barack Obama-era guidelines for districts to report discipline disparities by race and rewrote the rules on how schools and colleges must respond to sexual assault, giving those accused of sexual assault a fairer trial. He also pushed for deep cuts to education programs, which Congress did not support.

This time, he has also proposed major cuts in education spending, which would disproportionately affect low-income students and people with disabilities.

Congress’ control of the purse strings will likely once again provide a cushion for sharp cuts, Dimino said.

“Expect some kind of inflammatory budget statements from President Trump, but make sure you balance that with the fact that this has to go through Congress, and their voters don’t want to see those cuts,” Dimino said.

The attack on higher education is likely to continue

Republicans in recent years have portrayed colleges as “woke” institutions. They brought in Ivy League presidents to question them about their handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus, causing some to later resign. Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has described universities as “the enemy.”

Expect “a lot of university and higher education painting to be elitist and left-wing and out of touch in a way that is damaging to higher education as a brand,” Dimino said.

Project 2025 also calls for scaling back diversity efforts on college campuses.

Eden said the Trump administration could use Title VI, the federal law that prohibits racial discrimination, to discourage colleges from engaging in racial stereotyping that he said is common in DEI programming.

“I could see the action on that front quite easily,” he said.

Trump called the university accreditation process his “secret weapon” to force ideological changes. Schools require accreditation for their students to qualify for federal financial aid.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights is in the spotlight

Some of the Department of Education’s most controversial work involves interpreting civil rights laws that protect students from discrimination.

For example, the Biden administration wrote rules on Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, that also includes discrimination based on gender identity. This interpretation expanded protections for transgender students.

Republican-led states sued to block the ruleswhere a judge in many states suspends regulations, including some schools in Wisconsin. Trump will likely roll back regulations.

Reducing student debt would be less of a priority

Trump is also likely to roll back President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness programs, which conservatives say are unfair to people who have worked to pay off their debts and to people who are not going to college.

More than $160 billion in student loans have been canceled for 4.7 million borrowers under the Biden administration.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at [email protected] or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.