School district leaders say they are having a hard time keeping up with all the federal policy changes affecting their schools, as President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration unilaterally makes some of the most significant changes to federal K-12 policy in years.
Two superintendents expressed those views during a panel discussion here on July 2 at the ISTELive 25 + ASCD Annual Conference 25.
The school district leaders identified several changes they are struggling to deal with, including President Donald Trump鈥檚 freeze of nearly $6.8 billion in federal funds for K-12 education and the reduction of the Department of Education鈥檚 staff by 50 percent, which included the elimination or consolidation of the agency鈥檚 offices of education technology and English language acquisition.
During his second term, Trump has also threatened to withhold federal funds from states that allow transgender girls to play on girls鈥� sports teams and states that allow diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or policies. His administration has taken early steps to cut off federal school funds from California, Maine, and New York state after the U.S. Department of Education alleged civil rights violations related to those political priorities.
The panel session鈥攖itled 鈥淜eeping Up with Trump鈥檚 Washington: Cheat Sheet for K-12 Leaders鈥� and moderated by Education Week Assistant Editor Alyson Klein鈥攆eatured panelists Quentin J. Lee, superintendent of Talladega City schools in Talladega, Ala.; Keith Konyk, superintendent of Elizabeth Forward school district in Elizabeth, Pa.; and Eric Mackey, Alabama鈥檚 state superintendent of education.
A state chief, so far, is telling superintendents, 鈥榙on鈥檛 panic鈥� about federal funds Trump is withholding
The categories of funds the Trump administration was supposed to start sending to states on July 1 pay for teacher professional development, services for English learners, costs of educating students whose parents work migrant agricultural jobs, before- and after-school programs, and more.
鈥淲e are telling our superintendents: don鈥檛 panic, don鈥檛 close off any programs, lay off any people yet, but that could come,鈥欌�� Mackey said.
But Mackey said he鈥檚 concerned about the possibility of a 鈥攖he cancellation of previously approved federal funds, which requires the consent of Congress if it鈥檚 been requested by the president.
At the moment, the Trump administration is withholding the congressionally approved funds without Congress鈥� approval, and hasn鈥檛 indicated whether it intends to propose a formal rescission of the education funds.
Mackey said this would be detrimental because teachers have been promised jobs, after-school programs have been approved, and contractors have been hired based on states鈥� and districts鈥� assumptions that they would receive federal funds approved by Congress in March.
鈥淲e can have that argument鈥攁nd people have very valid points on both sides鈥攁bout the role of the federal government, whether we should cut back or shouldn鈥檛 cut back,鈥� said Mackey. 鈥淲e can have that [argument] when we are talking about the 2027 [school] year and beyond, but we can鈥檛 have that discussion about the 25-26 school year in July of 2025.鈥�
Leaders discuss issue of federal funds going to private schools
The panelists also discussed the prospect of a federal private school choice program, a day before Congress passed a tax-credit scholarship program as part of Trump鈥檚 signature bill with tax and spending cuts.
The legislation includes the first major federal investment in private school choice through a tax-credit scholarship program that provides taxpayers with a federal credit of up to $1,700 for donations to organizations that award students scholarships to attend private school.
The program is open-ended in terms of its total cost, which will depend on how many people claim the credit.
Lee, the Alabama superintendent, doesn鈥檛 believe in using federal funds to support private education. He worries that schools already have limited funding for existing programs.
鈥淲e really need to look at: what is the goal? Are we really trying to improve all the children or just the children that already have a step up in life?鈥� he said.
Superintendents explore other options after elimination of some Ed. Dept. offices
In March, amid the reduction in force that鈥檚 wiped out about half the Education Department鈥檚 staff, the office of education technology was eliminated. It had spearheaded a national education technology agenda and assisted states with implementing it.
Superintendents Lee and Konyk believe that the office鈥檚 elimination provides districts with the opportunity to explore different options for implementing digital technology and to determine what works best for their districts instead of following a national plan鈥攅ven one that was non-binding.
Both are members of the , a group of superintendents working to learn more about the use of technology in schools.
Membership in the league 鈥渁llows us to talk to like-minded folks who can lead us in policy and work from the practitioner level, which is super powerful,鈥� said Konyk. 鈥淲hile those [federal] departments are important, and we value the resources and guidance on policy that they give us, the key is that we need to search for ourselves and find other resources that meet those needs.鈥�
Mackey said he鈥檚 most concerned that the elimination of offices in the department, along with the lack of federal Title II-A funding for professional development, could jeopardize the teaching profession.
鈥淓verybody wants to pull back, and we all know that the easiest thing to do is say, 鈥楴obody gets to travel, nobody goes to any meeting, anywhere, anytime. Nobody talks to anybody else,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淲ell, we get behind when we do that, so we have to invest in professional development if we want to stay ahead.鈥�
