How dismantling the Department of Education would impact Missouri
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Missouri is in the dark after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to effectively dismantle the Department of Education.
It would take an act of Congress to completely dismantle a federal department, but the president’s executive order can shrink the agency beyond recognition. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary said it does not yet know how President Trump’s executive order will affect funding for local schools, but a good chunk of its budget comes from the U.S. Department of Education.
Former educator turned Democratic Rep. Kathy Steinhoff sits on the budget committee. State lawmakers are working through the next budget right now. Steinhoff said there is no “plan B” in the works in case Missouri loses federal funds.
“There’s so many things that our federal government is providing the oversight for and the funds for that really truly provide equity across our entire nation,” Steinhoff said.
DESE’s total budget for fiscal year 2025 is $8.7 billion and 27% of that comes from federal funds. Most of the federal money goes toward food and assistance for children living in poverty and extra help for those with disabilities.
| Federal Agency | Federal Funding (excludes COVID Relief Funds) | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| USDA | Child nutrition | $375,265,200 |
| USED | Title I, Part A | $279,251,695 |
| USED | IDEA Part B Special Education | $253,723,155 |
| DHSS ACF | Child Care and Development Block Grant | $223,508,819 |
| USED | Adult Education and Family Literacy | $38,854,130 |
| USED | Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $36,345,040 |
| USED | Title II ing Effective Instruction | $28,903,291 |
| USED | Career and Technical Education - Perkins | $28,000,000 |
| USED | Title IV.A Student and Academic Enrichment | $24,840,341 |
| USED | 21st Century - School Age Afterschool | $20,314,520 |
| USED | Disability Determinations | $16,831,731 |
The data above was courtesy of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Governor Mike Kehoe s the president’s efforts to shrink the government. In an interview with our Missouri Capitol Bureau, Kehoe said it will be better for Missourians in the long run.
“Missourians and their country voted for an istration that would right-size the government to get it as efficient as possible, and as a conservative, I that move to get it as efficient as possible,” Kehoe said.
A St. Louis University poll conducted last month shows 52% of likely Missouri voters do not dismantling the Department of Education.
It’s also unclear how this will affect higher education. A University of Missouri spokesperson tells me they’re closely monitoring developments.
“We encourage prospective students to fill out financial aid applications at studentaid.gov, and we remain committed to ing our current students and prospective students as well as the rest of our campus community,” said spokesperson Christopher Ave.
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