Earlier this March, President Donald Trump set out to sign an executive order that would be the preliminary step to dismantling  the Department of Education, a department within the bureaucracy that ensures equal access to education in America and provides grants to underprivileged schools and students. After President Trump appointed Linda McMahon to serve as the Secretary of Education, she was confirmed by the Senate and has since been tasked with carrying out mass layoffs within the department, and is responsible for carrying out the closure in the Department of Education.

So how does this affect local students and potentially even our own here in Syosset? This is bad for local schools because it allows for less financial aid from the government, which limits overall school resources. Without these resources, schools cannot carry out events and provide classrooms with equitable materials for students. Title 1 funding will become less effective, causing delays for schools that are already receiving these resources. Responsibilities of the Department would shift over to Human Health Services (HHS) and Small Business Administration (SBA), causing clutter among government associations.

The fluidity of these government associations will decrease because they’re taking on new responsibilities. Causing inconsistencies with distribution among Long Island schools.The HHS and SBA would need to take on new hires to get employees specialized in student loans and funding. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides New York schools with special education programs and resources. Responsibility of the Department of Education (DOE) will shift to other organizations causing inefficiencies to local specialized education programs.

Closing the DOE will impact Long Island schools tremendously in a negative way because it will remove school programs and resources, and inefficiencies in government administrations will delay school funding.