Wake County Public Schools on removing Dept. of Education: 'Sacrifices in the name of politics'

Akilah Davis Image
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Wake Schools react to talk of Department of Education being dismantled
Leaders of the largest school district in the state say thousands of students will be impacted by the Trump administration's proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Leaders of the largest school district in the state say thousands of students will be impacted by the Trump administration's proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

Wake County School Board Chairman Chris Heagarty expressed frustration over the possibility of this occurring.

"We have so many special education students in Wake County that if you pull them out, they would be the 14th largest school district in the state. Tell me in what world we live in where taking money away from kids like them is a good idea," said Heagarty.

According to Wake County Public Schools, the school district received $217 million in federal funds last school year. It is still unclear how much of that money comes from the U.S. Department of Education or how closing the agency could impact funding.

District leaders told ABC11 a lot could be at stake including special education, magnet programs, teaching positions and school lunches.

"Even things as simple as school lunch. Things like programs for homeless students or students who have been victims of abuse. These are the sacrifices that are getting made at the federal level in the name of politics," said Heagarty.

NC Superintendent of Public Instruction, Maurice "Mo" Green provided this statement:

"The staff at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and I are monitoring the discourse surrounding the proposal to eliminate or drastically downsize the U.S. Department of Education. Until an actionable plan to do so is released, it is impossible to speculate on the impact on North Carolina's public schools."

"A productive partnership with and continued funding from the federal government are essential for North Carolina's students and schools. About $1.2 billion for North Carolina public schools comes from the U.S. Department of Education annually. Two of the largest programs are Title I, which provides funding for high-poverty schools, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides funding for students with disabilities. The complete loss of this funding would be detrimental to students and result in the loss of thousands of educator jobs."

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis released the following statement:

"Only Congress has the power to eliminate departments. It's clear that the status quo in our public education system isn't working as American students are falling behind in math, reading, and science, and the Department of Education is straying far away from its original mission. We need the department to go back to focus on its original mission of supporting local schools and prioritizing the success of students instead of a one-size-fits-all federal bureaucracy."

Congresswoman Deborah Ross released the following statement:

"Every child in North Carolina deserves an outstanding education. From pre-K to college, we have a profound obligation to ensure that our students, educators, and support staff have the tools they need to succeed," said Congresswoman Ross. "President Trump's scheme to eliminate the Department of Education is not only plainly unconstitutional, it will also devastate hundreds of North Carolina schools that rely on resources from the Department. It's despicable that Trump wants to hurt our kids to advance his extreme partisan agenda. I will fight this illegal maneuver every step of the way."

ABC11 Eyewitness News contacted U.S. Senator Ted Budd's office and haven't heard back.

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