US public education under threat: 4 ways this school year could change under Trump

As students, parents, and educators step into the 2025–26 academic year, one question looms large: How much will the federal government reshape public education under the second Trump administration? Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has signaled a sharp departure from longstanding limits on federal involvement in public schools. According to Center for American Progress (CAP), the administration has already moved to withhold funds, expand private school vouchers, and weaken civil rights protections, setting off what experts call “chaos and confusion” in classrooms nationwide. Here are four major ways this school year could be transformed.

Federal intrusion into classroom instruction

By law, states and districts control curriculum and instruction, not Washington. Yet, as CAP notes, the Trump administration has pursued repeated attempts to dictate how schools handle topics such as diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) and gender identity. On his first day back in office, President Trump rescinded Department of Education guidance supporting inclusive environments for LGBTQI+ students.

Weeks later, he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to eliminate support for DEIA in K–12 schools. By February, the Department of Education threatened to withhold federal funds from districts continuing DEIA programs, calling them “discriminatory equity ideology.

” In April, the department went further, warning that states must comply with its reinterpretation of civil rights law or risk losing federal support.

The Department of Justice has since followed with guidance labeling certain DEIA initiatives, such as staff diversity training, as illegal uses of federal funds. According to CAP, this pattern of executive actions is designed to “hinder local districts’ ability to ensure that academic programs and learning environments reflect DEIA principles.” While many of these directives lack legal force, their chilling effect on schools is already evident.

Expansion of private school vouchers

Another defining move has been the federalization of private school choice. In March, the Department of Education encouraged states to use Title I funds, earmarked for low-income students in public schools, to expand voucher programs. Soon after, Congress passed the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), a first-of-its-kind federal voucher scheme. The law grants individuals a 100% tax credit — up to $1,700 — for donations to organizations providing vouchers for private school tuition.

CAP estimates this uncapped program could cost nearly $51 billion annually, dwarfing the $18 billion currently allocated to Title I schools and the $14 billion for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Critics warn that the ECCA risks diverting resources from already underfunded public schools. States with similar programs have seen school closures without measurable gains in student achievement.

CAP notes that the policy “primarily supports families whose children were already enrolled in private schools,” leaving rural and low-income communities particularly vulnerable.

Weakening of federal oversight

The Trump administration has also set its sights on dismantling the Department of Education itself. An executive order earlier this year proposed eliminating the agency, and the US Supreme Court has allowed steps in that direction. Following mass layoffs, the department is down to roughly 2,000 employees overseeing 50 million K–12 students and 18.4 million in higher education. This has severely weakened functions such as data collection, accountability, and civil rights enforcement. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which received a record 22,687 complaints in 2024, has lost over half its regional offices and nearly 180 staff attorneys.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has acknowledged a growing backlog, raising doubts about the government’s ability to protect students from discrimination. Meanwhile, some states, like Indiana, are seeking waivers from Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability requirements. If approved, families could lose access to transparent school quality data that guides their education decisions.

Withholding and restricting federal funds

Perhaps the most immediate disruption for schools has come from abrupt changes in funding flows.

CAP reports that the Trump administration has already rescinded or frozen more than $10 billion in K–12 education funds since January. This summer, the Department of Education withheld $6.2 billion in congressionally approved funding for teacher training, English learner support, migrant education, and after-school programs. Though released weeks later under political pressure, the funds came with new conditions: districts must comply with Trump’s executive orders and are barred from using federal money on programs that benefit undocumented students. Such tactics, CAP warns, are forcing schools to cut staff and cancel programs with little notice, undermining stability for millions of students.

A fragile year ahead

The fiscal year 2026 budget proposal offers few signs of relief. With cuts to Medicaid and food assistance already straining state finances, schools may find themselves carrying even greater responsibility as federal support shrinks. For families, teachers, and administrators, this means a school year defined by uncertainty. As CAP concludes, districts must brace for funding gaps, diminished civil rights protections, and heightened federal interference in local education decisions, a combination that threatens to reshape public education for years to come.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.