— February 11, 2025 —
If the current administration dismantles the Department of Education at the federal level, Montana’s education system will suffer in ways we cannot afford to ignore.
Montana has just over a million people and 896 schools. In 2024, 148,009 students were enrolled in state and federally-funded schools. The Montana Constitution guarantees every child the right to a public education. Every one of our students matters.
If the Department of Education is abolished, Montana will lose critical support for our public schools.
The state’s Office of Public Instruction receives about 21 percent of its funding from the federal government. Without these funds, Montana schools will struggle to provide quality education, special education programs, and vocational training. Deserving and hard-working students seeking higher education will face obstacles in receiving grants and loans.
Susie Hedalen, Montana’s newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, should be using her platform to fight for Montana’s students. Instead, she is focused on a problem that doesn’t exist in Montana, men in women’s sports.
Montanans are familiar with this approach. For the past eight years, Montana’s education leadership elevated hype and trends from social media instead of adressing critical issues on the ground like ensuring school bus safety.
Montanans believe in public education. Public schools are the heart of our communities, where families gather for sporting events, meals, and milestones. Our teachers are among the hardest-working in the country, yet Montana ranks near the bottom for teacher pay.
We must demand better for our teachers and students.
The DOE was established in 1979 to ensure equal access to education and uphold federal funding and it still plays an essential role in keeping our schools running. In 2022, Montana received $605 million in federal emergency aid and other DOE-administered grants. These funds were allocated to help schools recover from the pandemic, support special education, provide resources for low-income students, and maintain essential public education programs.
Trump cannot unilaterally dissolve the Department of Education. Established by Congress in 1979, dismantling it would require legislative approval. While the president can propose budget cuts or reassign certain functions, abolishing a federal department necessitates congressional action.
Yet, Hedalen remains silent while her boss in D.C. dictates to her what is best for Montana.
The Department of Education protects students with disabilities, enforces civil rights laws, provides federal funding, and ensures higher education remains accessible. It does not dictate local curriculum, run schools, or hire teachers. If the DOE is eliminated, Montana’s most vulnerable students will lose protections, and public schools will face devastating funding shortfalls.
Trump’s federal education funding freeze has disrupted Montana’s state DOE programs, delayed grants and loans for Montana students, and, despite judicial rulings, left essential funds inaccessible, jeopardizing education services statewide.
Education is the foundation of our democracy. The DOE was created to ensure fairness and opportunity for all students. Without it, Montana will be left behind.
Susie Hedalen should be fighting for our children, but instead, she’s ignoring the real crisis. The people of Montana must demand that those in power protect what matters most: our schools, our students, and our future.
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