In a dramatic move set to reshape American education, President Donald Trump is working to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and shift its funding directly to the states. This change could result in major improvements for school choice and tuition assistance for the frum community.
By Anash.org reporter
In a dramatic move set to reshape American education, President Donald Trump is working to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and shifting its funding directly to the states. This change could result in major improvements for school choice and tuition assistance for the frum community.
On January 29, Trump signed an executive order prioritizing school choice and expanding tuition assistance, as part of a broader series of education-related actions that day. Then, on March 20, Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the DOE, following through on a key campaign promise to reduce the federal government’s role in education.
Central to Trump’s DOE plan is redirecting federal education funding toward school choice initiatives. Trump has long emphasized the importance of giving parents more control over their children’s education, stating during his campaign, “I want every parent in America to be empowered to send their child to public, private, charter, or faith-based school of their choice.”
For decades, the DOE has controlled the distribution of federal education funding, primarily directing it toward public school districts. Under Trump’s plan, these funds will instead be given directly to the states, with a requirement that they prioritize school choice programs. This could translate into more funding for tuition assistance, scholarships, and education savings accounts for private school families.
According to NBC News, Trump’s January 29 executive order directs the DOE to “prioritize school choice programs” in its discretionary grants and to issue guidance to states on how they can use federal education dollars to expand school choice. The order states:
“Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall issue guidance regarding how States can use Federal formula funds to support K-12 educational choice initiatives.”
A separate bill in Congress, introduced the same day by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., the Educational Choice for Children Act, would provide up to $10 billion in annual tax credits for individuals and businesses that donate to private school scholarships. Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., filed a companion bill in the House with 26 Republican co-sponsors.
The New York Post reported that school choice advocates, including the America First Policy Institute, see this as a major breakthrough.
“Expanding scholarship access for K-12 students via this bill ensures every child has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their family’s income or ZIP code,” said Erika Donalds, chair of AFPI’s Center for Education Opportunity.
The Department of Education released a statement saying, “School choice empowers parents and guardians to pursue the best learning environment for their children. It allows for innovative schooling models and methods that meet the unique needs of students across the nation.”
For frum families, tuition is one of the largest household expenses, extending into tens of thousands of dollars per year. With larger-than-average family sizes, any increase in tuition assistance could make a major difference.
The day after Trump’s school choice executive order, The Tennessean reported, Tennessee passed a $447 million school voucher program, providing 20,000 scholarships worth $7,300 each to students, including those already enrolled in private schools!
While red states have led the way in expanding school choice, blue states like New York have largely resisted and experts are cautioning that the immediate impact of Trump’s executive order may be limited.
Chester Finn Jr., a senior fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, explained, “The portion of the Department of Ed’s dollars that could be directly affected by this is very small… Much of the funding is governed by statute, making it difficult to redirect significant resources toward school choice without a major congressional overhaul.”
Still, CBS News noted that Trump’s plan aligns with a broader push by Republican lawmakers to expand education choice across the country. If Congress passes new legislation linking school choice to federal funding, states that want access to these federal education block grants may have no choice but to implement tuition assistance programs.
As these policies take shape, it is yet to be seen how this will affect each state. Historically, New York’s leadership has opposed school choice, prioritizing public schools and rejecting voucher programs. Though if New York refuses to implement the order, it may lose access to significant federal education funding, forcing them to rethink their stance.
Whichever states do adopt school choice programs, frum families living there could finally see meaningful tuition relief. Whether through education savings accounts, state-funded vouchers, or tax-credit scholarships, private school tuition and Trump’s education overhaul could create real financial benefits for large families who bear the burden of tuition and reshape the finances of frum living.
$7,300 per child can go a long way in helping parents pay for tuition, if the schools don’t up their tuition that exact amount and leave the parents with the same bill at the end of the day as they do for other such vouchers…
With accessible government funding, new schools will open, creating competition. A primary factor in the shortage and monopoly of a few schools, is the difficulty and funding. Once that is easier, more people will come forward, creating more options and keeping the prices down.
I don’t understand how any Lubavitcher can be cheering on the dismantlement of the DOE. While we all can agree that it has caused tremendous damage in the past, that doesn’t mean that it has no hope and that a department dedicated to furthering education on the federal level is of no importance. While no could claim that the DOE fulfilled the vision that the Rebbe laid out for it, that doesn’t mean that that vision can’t be implemented now. A Chossid would lobby, not for its dismanlment, but for reform, refocusing the energies of the DOE in the direction laid out by the Rebbe (in letters to Presidents Carter and Reagan, correspondence with Senators, and Sichos from the early 80s). Interestingly, unlike what so many strategist are saying, the Rebbe saw the school choice agenda as something that the DOE itself could accomplish and should be under its purview (sichah of 10 Shevat, 5741).
This is all nice to say if we were supposed to vote on DOE or something like that. The president’s choice isn’t our voice. This was what Hashem destined to be. But, we can choose what happens next by utilizing the part of the plan that serves the Jewish schools to their benefit.
The same way we lobby for any other policy that aligns with the Rebbe’s vision (MOS, Release Time, etc.), the same way Lubavitch was instrumental in having the department established in the first place. The position of many conservative politicians and strategists, aside for the concerns with the beliefs and policies pushed by the DOE, is that education should be solely under the purview of the states without the Federal government being involved. This directly contradicts the Rebbe’s words. The Rebbe praised, time and again, the fact the US has resources dedicated to education on federal level, demonstrating the stature of education in the country, and the ability to affect policies therein from the highest office in the land. These ideas aren’t defunct and should still be encouraged.