Gillibrand says defunding Department of Education would have disastrous impact on children

‘The Trump administration is stealing from our children, our teachers, and our families to give tax breaks to the wealthy’

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Kirsten Gillibrand

NEW YORK – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined union leaders, elected officials, students, parents and educators to warn of the disastrous consequences of President Trump’s threat to shut down the United States Department of Education.

If the department closes, the resulting chaos would mean over 2.6 million K-12 students at 4,800 New York schools could lose federal funding, Gillibrand said. This includes half a million New York students with disabilities who could lose nearly $1 billion in annual support, as well as nearly a quarter million English learners at New York schools who could be deprived of an annual $66 million that supports their education.

“President Trump’s threat to shutter the Department of Education is a reckless and unconstitutional move that would jeopardize the programs that help New York’s kids, families, schools, and communities thrive,” Gillibrand said in a news release. “The Trump administration is stealing from our children, our teachers, and our families to give tax breaks to the wealthy. It is jeopardizing our nation’s academic progress and our role in the global economy at the expense of our children, and we cannot stand for it. There should be no debate – defunding education defunds our future, and I will do everything in my power to protect the Department of Education.”

The Department of Education serves students across the country by:

• Providing funding to support the nation’s most vulnerable students through Title I grants
• Funding special education programs for students with disabilities
• Administering Pell Grants for low-income college students
• Supporting school improvement programs to improve education outcomes
• Funding programs to promote mental health and after-school activities

These programs could be in jeopardy if the Department of Education were shut down. Even a temporary disruption could be devastating for students, their families, and educators.

If the department is shut down, the impact on New York families would be devastating:

• Over 2.6 million K-12 students at 4,800 schools throughout the state could lose federal funding
• 525,000 New York students with disabilities could miss out on $984 million in annual support
• Schools could be deprived of $12 million in mental health supports
• 392,000 New York students could lose the $1.9 billion in Pell Grants that help them afford college
• 247,000 English learners at New York schools could be deprived of an annual $66 million that support their education.