Abolishing Department of Education expected to greatly impact West Virginia

In Washington D.C., over 2,000 employees were laid off after Trump's executive order, adding to the roughly 600 employees who left of their own volition in January. After probationary employees were placed on administrative leave in February, ABC News reported on Tuesday that, following a federal judge's intervention reinstating some of those employees last week, the second wave of layoffs hit again, shuttering, in some cases, entire divisions. 

"I think right now, the name of the game is uncertainty," a former Department of Education probationary employee said when questioned by ABC News. "There is a lot of uncertainty about where do things stand, what is going to be next, what protections are we going to be able to maintain.

"Until we hear directly from the administration what their actual plan or intent is, like, we don't have a full scope to decide what's going to be next." 

In the days preceding the EO, the Trump Administration informed 1,300 employees they would be laid off with an overall goal of reducing the Education Department's total workforce by 50%. Expected to affect “all divisions" of the Department, this reduction in staff leaves the department with 2,183 staff, almost half of a total of 4,133 employees when Trump took office.

Still, the Administration recognizes that the Education Department legally can’t be shuttered unilaterally, instructing McMahon to, “act to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law.” To close the department, Congress would have to vote to approve the legislation, pitting Senate Republicans against a Democrat filibuster, which would take 60 votes to invoke cloture. Republicans currently hold 53 seats.

Unease in West Virginia about loss of federal grant funding

Although the Education Department cannot be closed without Congressional approval, there are still concerns about how McMahon’s actions and the mass layoffs could impact school districts across the country, especially those in West Virginia.

Overall, the most recent NCES data, sourced from December 2024, shows that, for the 2021-22 academic year, 18.9% of West Virginia’s Department of Education budget was federally funded, or one dollar for every five dollars—one of the highest percentages in the country. This data includes Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and data provided by Tamaya Browder, Education Policy Fellow with the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, shows that federal funding in 2019 made up one in every 10 dollars.

This amounted to $384 million, or 11.5% of the state’s budget, still far higher than the national average that year of 7.6% that year. 

Still, despite the shift in data due to COVID response policies, which end this year, facing the possibility of losing more federal funding for public education raises great concerns for Browder. 

“We’re faced with a lot of challenges around public education funding … [and] federal funding makes up about 19% of that available for school districts including that pandemic-era relief funding,” she said. “With the loss of that, it’s a huge chunk of funds that, unless we’re looking to raise revenues at the local level or the state level, we’re looking at pretty significant cuts to public education.” 

Most of West Virginia’s federal funding falls under Title I, School Nutritional Programs (SNPs) and the Individuals with Disabilities and Education (IDEA) Act, which support school systems in distinct ways. Title I grants provide Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) with high percentages of poor children to support learning outcomes; SNPs provide low-cost or free meals for students; and IDEA funding supports free public education in “the least restrictive environment” for children with disabilities ages 3-21, according to state and federal Education Department websites. 

Additionally, Title I and IDEA grants are considered formula grants, while SNPs like the National School Lunch (NSLP) and National School Breakfast (NSBP) programs are considered entitlement programs. Those food programs are expected to remain intact, as they’re funded by the USDA, though it’s unclear if separate cuts would impact food programs that support schools.

Further, although the Trump Administration has ensured that formula funding won’t be affected by abolishing the Department of Education, reporting by NPR suggests that those who determine whether schools qualify for these programs—such as employees within NCES, which only has three employees remaining after 97 were notified that they would be put on administrative leave and eventually laid off—may not be able to provide data for grants to be distributed. 

In West Virginia, Title I, IDEA funding and SNPs are slated to provide nearly half a billion dollars in funding in FY 2025 according to Kelly Allen, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy, who spoke with West Virginia Public Broadcasting in February. A more specific breakdown of funds shows that West Virginia received $157 million for Title programs—both Title I and II—as well as $94.8 for IDEA programs and $204 million for SNPs. 

When considering the loss of Title I and IDEA funding, Browder took a pause before breaking down how critical those two sources are alone. 

“IDEA funding is a huge portion of the [federal] funds and is critical to our schools around the state,” Browder said. “About 20% of the students enrolled in public schools in West Virginia are documented to have a disability, so that funding is critical to support their needs. Especially since the federal funding is working to meet the needs that aren’t necessarily able to be met by state and local government.

"We expect with the loss of this funding and programs, that school districts that have a particularly high percentage of students with disabilities or a larger population of students living in poverty will bear the brunt of these cuts.” 

Jefferson County Schools responds to the executive order  

On Friday, Jefferson County Schools (JCS) released a memo expressing their stance following Trump’s executive order. 

“In response to the March 20, executive order impacting the U.S. Department of Education, Jefferson County Schools reaffirms its unwavering commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students and fostering the best possible working environment for our staff,” the memo reads. “JCS remains dedicated to ensuring that every student receives the resources and support necessary to thrive academically and socially. While the federal government’s restructuring of education oversight represents a significant shift, our focus remains on preparing our students for what comes next in their lives.” 

JCS notes it received $11.3 million in federal funding for the 2023-24 academic year, $7.8 million allocated from the federal Education Department. This included the remaining COVID-19 monies. Further, JCS notes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided $3.4 million to support food programs.

Projections for the current school year showed a $3.8 million reduction, though the school system noted the funding they expect to receive would still be beneficial for supporting IDEA, title, adult education and career/technical education programs. JCS also stated that, based on recent talks with state and local leaders, the school system “does not anticipate any funding reductions” due to federal changes. 

“While the structural landscape of education funding may be evolving, our mission remains unchanged: to provide a world-class education for every student in Jefferson County,” said Dr. Chuck Bishop, Superintendent of Jefferson County Schools. “We will continue working closely with state and local leaders to ensure sustained support for our students and staff.”

The Spirit also reached out to the West Virginia Department of Education for comment, though it did not respond.