Trump Administration Cuts 106 Million in Massachusetts Education Funding

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantlement of the U.S. Department of Education, advancing on a campaign promise that conservatives have long hoped to fulfill.  The Department of Education, established in 1979, seeks to improve the coordination of federal education programs and support state and local school systems, according to its website. The Department also oversees student loans, financial aid programs, and nondiscrimination policies. Since September 2024, Trump has claimed that he hopes to “stop the abuse of… taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth,” often purporting that the department has been used to spread the liberal agenda. 

Per the dismantling, as of last Wednesday, the Trump administration terminated $106 million dollars from the federal funding for Massachusetts schools, with Springfield taking the biggest hit with over $47 million in cuts. Springfield has one of the lowest median household incomes in Massachusetts and has multiple Title 1 schools. This statistic may be surprising due to the claim made by United States Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who stated that the end of the DoE wouldn’t mean “cutting off funds for those who depend on them” and stressed the agency “would partner with Congress to streamline operations.” These statements are also against what President Trump has claimed himself when saying that his administration will only close the department beyond its “core necessities,” preserving its responsibilities for Title I funding for low-income schools, Pell grants, and money for children with disabilities; unfortunately, this has already proved to be untrue.

Many of Massachusetts’ government officials have made hearty claims about this action, questioning the legality of funding cuts and expressing the lack of morality behind these actions. Governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, voiced how  “this action is jeopardizing mental health care and math tutoring for our students, as well as projects that are already underway to enhance school security and ensure that the air in our school buildings is clean. Massachusetts has been making important progress helping students recover from the pandemic, but President Trump is trying to take us backward.”  The concern was similarly shown within House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy) where he stated, “the Trump administration pretends to champion education by claiming it wants to empower states, but in reality, it is actively sabotaging states’ ability to support our most vulnerable students… canceling funds that schools have already built into their budgets is reckless and shows a blatant disregard for the needs of our students and schools.”