Lawmakers in the House approve selected, but not all, educational budget reductions proposed by Trump

The U.S. House of Representatives has proposed a federal budget bill that could have a profound impact on education funding for the upcoming school year. The bill, if signed into law by President Donald Trump, would result in a 15% cut in overall investment in Education Department programs, amounting to $66.7 billion.

One of the most notable changes is the zeroing out of funding for Title II-A grants, which support teacher training and professional development. This decision not only affects the next school year but also means the cancellation of the $1.6 billion states were expecting to receive on October 1 for the current school year. The bill also eliminates funding for Title III funding for English-learner services, Full-Service Community Schools, Promise Neighborhoods, and preschool development grants.

However, it's important to note that the bill does not propose pulling back previously approved funding for certain programs. For instance, federal support for special education would drop slightly year over year, but $1.3 billion for before- and after-school programming and $269 million for library and museum services would still be maintained.

The bill also includes some controversial proposals, such as renaming the AmeriCorps community service program as the "America First Corps" and Workforce Pell Grants as "Trump Grants." However, there is no information available about a candidate from the Education Department designated to implement these name changes.

The bill also reduces annual funding for the Education Department's office for civil rights from $140 million to $91 million. On the other hand, it allocates $740 million to the Institute of Education Sciences, the Education Department's research arm, which is more than the $261 million the Trump administration proposed.

The proposed budget bill cuts $3.5 billion from current levels for Title I formula grants, which are used to support schools serving low-income students. This decision, coupled with ongoing confusion over unilateral changes the Trump administration has implemented, may lead schools to budget less for education than in previous years.

Certain moves made by the Trump administration have been deemed illegal by courts and nonpartisan watchdogs. If President Trump signs the House version of the budget into law, the Education Department would cancel roughly 5 percent ($938 million) of the $18.4 billion in Title I funds already approved in March.

Members of Congress have less than a month to agree on a federal budget, and it remains to be seen whether the Senate will approve the House's proposed education budget bill. The bill does not incorporate Trump's proposal to consolidate dozens of education funding streams into two block grants for states, which could potentially be a point of contention in the negotiations.

House Republicans are broadly aligned with Trump's mission to scale back federal investment in education, but the impact of these proposed changes on schools and students remains to be seen. The next few weeks could be critical in determining the future of education funding in the United States.

Lawmakers in the House approve selected, but not all, educational budget reductions proposed by Trump