How dismantling Department of Education will affect Louisiana

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The White House is moving forward with plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, a move officials say would shift control over schools back to individual states.

State leaders say while the change sounds significant, it would not entirely overhaul Louisiana’s school system. Instead, funding and decision-making responsibilities would transition to the state level, keeping local education departments in charge.

“We believe that education is a states’ rights issue,” said Dr. Cade Brumley , Louisiana State Superintendent “We believe that leaders in the state of Louisiana—from our governor to our legislators, our state board, and educators—can make informed decisions that benefit students.”

Louisiana schools currently receive billions in federal funding for programs like Title I, special education, and school meal programs. Officials stress that under this proposal, the funding would remain intact but be managed by different federal departments.

“Title I money will still be sent to the Louisiana Department of Education and distributed to districts,” said David Claxton. “The same applies to IDEA funding for special education—it will be reassigned to another federal department but continue supporting students at the district level.”

For the 2024-2025 school year, Louisiana legislators approved billions in funding for K-12 public schools, serving approximately 700,000 students statewide. Louisiana’s state superintendent says eliminating the federal education agency would cut bureaucracy and grant states greater flexibility in school governance.

“There really hasn’t been a discussion about reducing funding for Louisiana,” the superintendent said. “The question is whether we need D.C. bureaucrats telling Louisiana how to run its schools, and I think the answer is no.”

Louisiana’s education system is currently ranked 40th in the U.S., a six-spot improvement since 2019.

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