President Donald Trump has made moves to shrink the U.S. Department of Education by cutting about half of its workforce. Among the workforce reduction are 600 employees who accepted voluntary resignation opportunities. The President’s goal is to reduce the federal workforce, cut government spending, and shift power to the states. This move could have significant impacts in states like Nevada and large school districts like Clark County. While federal funding for the Nevada Department of Education is not currently impacted by the layoffs, there will be operational challenges with every division in the department taking a hit. Education experts warn that reducing the Department of Education’s workforce will have immediate effects locally, such as impacting special education services, civil rights enforcement, student loan management, and funding for students in need. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon has stated that these eliminations are steps towards the President’s larger goal of shutting down the Department of Education, which would have devastating effects on schools if approved by Congress. The potential impacts could include the loss of support services for students with special needs, tutoring programs, and funding for students with IEPs in districts like Clark County.
As of now, federally funded school breakfast and lunch programs are managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and are not directly impacted by the workforce reductions at the U.S. Department of Education.
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