President Trump’s proposed budget would cut the Department of Education by 13 percent, or $9 billion. But not everything in the department would be cut, as federal school choice programs would get a $1.4 billion increase.
“This additional investment in 2018 includes a $168 million increase for charter schools, $250 million for a new private school choice program, and a $1 billion increase for Title I, dedicated to encouraging districts to adopt a system of student-based budgeting and open enrollment that enables Federal, State, and local funding to follow the student to the public school of his or her choice,” the document says.
Also spared from cuts are funds for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Pell Grants for college students in need of financial aid, and special funding for “Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions.”
More than 20 education programs would be eliminated or cut under the proposal, programs the document says don’t fulfill their mission or are redundant.
It’s unclear exactly how the new school choice programs would work. But keep in mind that the president’s proposed budget is a request to Congress, whose budget almost always differs significantly from the president’s. The actual budget will likely include the elimination of or cuts to some education programs while expanding support for school choice, like additional money for public charter schools.
Overall, expect the final budget to have the same trends that Trump proposes: less money for the Education Department as a whole, but more money for school choice.
Jason Russell is the contributors editor for the Washington Examiner.
