Trump’s Department of Education executive order: Georgia's education leaders react with uncertainty

ATLANTA - President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to effectively dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. 

Georgia’s education leaders are now all wondering how this will impact the state’s students.

SEE ALSO: Trump signs order to 'begin eliminating' Department of Education

What we know:

"I will sign an Executive Order to begin eliminating the federal Department of Education once and for all," President Trump said in remarks shortly before signing the new order. 

A White House fact sheet on the executive order stated that the directive aims to "turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies" and instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to "take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely."

The Department of Education, established in 1979, seeks to "improve coordination of federal education programs and support state and local school systems," according to its website. It also oversees student loans, financial aid programs, and nondiscrimination policies. 

Only an act of Congress can actually shutter the federal department entirely.

Concerns over vital education funding

What they're saying:

Leaders of teachers’ unions in Georgia say they worry this move will disrupt funding for students in need. "It's a dark day in public education for Georgia… at the end of the day, the children are going to be hurt by this. And they're the ones who are going to suffer the most harm because of today's action," said Jeff Hubbard, President of the Cobb County Association of Educators. He says that harm will come because of possible cuts to funding for schools.

"We would have children in line at breakfast. ‘I'm so hungry. I can't wait. I can't wait in line. I'm so hungry.’ I think about them," said Lisa Morgan, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. She says she worries about funding for Title I programs like free school meals and disability services. Morgan also said many schools rely on those dollars to fill funding gaps. "Over 16%, on average, is the percentage of funding that each school district receives from the federal government. Now that's the average for the State of Georgia. There are school districts in our more rural areas where 30% of their funding comes from the federal government. I’ve visited many of those districts, and the funding is not there in the community to replace this federal funding," Morgan said.

The other side:

During the ceremony, however, President Trump assured people that funding would not be impacted. "Pell grants, Title I funding resources for children with disabilities and special needs will be preserved, fully preserved…they're going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them," Trump said. But Morgan says changing how the funding is distributed could create significant delays in when school districts receive their funds. "When you move that funding to another department, there's going to be disruptions. You're going to lose that continuity, that expertise in that area," she said.

School districts on Department of Education reduction

Local perspective:

FOX 5 has sought answers and reactions to the new executive order from Georgia education leaders at all levels. Fulton County Schools said in a statement, "We are closely monitoring the situation with the U.S. Department of Education and any potential impacts on K-12 education. While it is too early to determine what, if any, changes this may bring at the local level, our focus remains on ensuring that students in Fulton County Schools receive a high-quality education. As always, we will work with state and federal education agencies to navigate any policy changes that may arise."

A Cobb County Schools district spokesperson said in a statement, "While there’s some uncertainty surrounding the U.S. Department of Education, our commitment to supporting Cobb students remains unwavering. At this time, we have not received any information suggesting that there will be disruptions to our schools, but we will continue to keep the community informed if anything changes. If you have any further questions, we encourage you to reach out directly to the Georgia Department of Education for additional information."

President Trump said repeatedly during the ceremony that he wanted to return education "back to the States." FOX 5 reached out to the Georgia Department of Education about how they’re preparing and/or responding to this move. A spokesperson responded, "The information available to our agency has not changed at this time. Education funding – including Title I and IDEA – is allocated by Congress. We have received no indication at this time that the allocations will change. We have not received direct guidance at this time on how President Trump’s Executive Order or the reductions in force at the U.S. Department of Education may impact programs and services."

Big picture view:

Georgia Republicans in Congress praised the move on Thursday. Representative Buddy Carter said in a statement, "Students are performing at record lows despite historic highs in spending. I support President Trump’s efforts to return authority to the States." But Georgia Democrats like Congresswoman Nikeema Williams strongly oppose the move. She said, "This will deprive students in the #fightingfifth of the equal opportunity to succeed. Dismantling the Department of Education can only be done by an act of Congress."

What we don't know:

FOX 5 has not heard whether Georgia Republicans plan to move to pass a law to completely do away with the Department of Education.