Kansas education leaders respond to shutdown of DOE

TOPEKA (KSNT) - State education officials have issued a statement Friday following the Trump Administration's push to close the U.S. Department of Education (DOE).

Denise Kahler with the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) issued a press release on March 21 in the wake of President Donald Trump's decision to shut down the DOE. Kahler said the KSDE is waiting for a response from Congress and will be looking over Trump's order in the coming days to determine what the impact will be on Kansas.

"For decades, federal support has played a critical role in ensuring equitable access to education, particularly for students with disabilities, those from low-income families, and rural communities. While we have received assurances that funding will not be affected, we do not know yet what impact the elimination of federal oversight will have for programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and the Higher Education Act (HEA). The administration has said there will be no programmatic disruption."

KSDE statement excerpt

The Trump Administration argues that closing the DOE will give children and families an "opportunity to escape a system that is failing them," according to an executive order filed on March 20. This comes shortly after Trump appointed WWE co-founder Linda McMahon to lead the DOE.

Kahler said the Kansas State Board of Education (KBOE) and the KSDE will continue to work with both state and federal leaders, community partners and school district to protect educational opportunities for Kansas students. The KSDE will clarify funding sources, policy implications and legal obligations while staying in contact with schools to maintain a transition with minimal classroom disruptions across the state.

The educational StarBase program which connected the state's students to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) was also closed in February. The closure of this program ended about 30 jobs for state educators.

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