Last week, the Trump administration announced plans to halve the United States Department of Education by laying off more than 1,300 employees under new Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

The cuts come as the Trump administration severely makes cuts to much of the federal government.

According to the Associated Press, McMahon told employees to brace for profound cuts in a memo issued March 3, the day she was confirmed by the Senate. She said it was the department’s “final mission” to eliminate bureaucratic bloat and turn over the agency’s authority to states.

While on the surface, removing what the current administration describes as “bloat” may seem like a good idea, looking further into the role the Department of Education plays, particularly in special education, could lead to some concerning outcomes for kids with physical or mental disabilities.

A major Trump talking point from President Trump regarding the DoE involves “returning education to the states.”

The states which are already having a difficult time funding their schools.

A major part of special education funding comes from the federal government through the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.

The IDEA funding provides large sums of money to schools throughout the country to help cover some of the massive costs that schools face with special education, from infrastructure developments like ramps which help with accessibility to the costs of hiring specialized staff members who support students who need individualized help.

Cuts to the Department of Education also run the risk of increasing financial burden on schools that are already struggling, particularly in low-income areas like many here in the Upper Peninsula. These budget struggles run the risk of increasing class sizes and the cuts to, or elimination of, specialized programs to help ensure that every kid has the opportunity to receive the best education possible.

While almost everyone can agree that there are plenty of places to save taxpayer money in the federal government, our children’s education should be far down the list.

These budgetary concerns may not impact affluent areas or private schools for children whose parents can afford them but for the rest of us, we may have a reason to worry.

(THE MARQUETTE MINING JOURNAL)