A Florida school board member has slammed Donald Trump's decision to order the shuttering the Department of Education.
In a move long promised during the President's campaign, the order was signed at the White House and marks the initial steps to dismantle the federal agency.
Jennifer Jenkins, founder and chairwoman of Educated We Stand, has blasted Trump's decision, expressing serious concerns about its impact.
"I'm not surprised, but I am obviously fearful and disappointed," Jenkins told GB News.
Jennifer Jenkins has spoken against Trump's decision
Reuters/GB News
She criticised the administration's justification for the closure, stating: "Shutting down the Department of Education isn't truly about saving money or bringing it back to the states like the Trump administration says."
"It's about stripping away protections from our kids," Jenkins warned.
Jenkins highlighted how rural communities would be particularly affected by the department's closure.
"Federal education funding keeps those schools running. It pays for their teachers to recruit them to those rural communities," she explained. She noted these areas often have limited tax bases to support education independently.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Trump signs an executive order to shut down the Department of Education
Reuters
"It pays for their expensive bussing special education programs. It pays for meals for students who need them," Jenkins added.
She warned that without federal support, these communities would "struggle" and "be left to fend for themselves."
Jenkins expressed particular concern about protections for students with disabilities.
"The Department of Education provides civil rights protections for our students with disabilities," she said, highlighting a troubling development already underway in the United States.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon with Donald TrumpReutersJenkins, who is a Democrat, said the 504 accommodations provide crucial support for disabled students in the school system.
She told GB News: "Currently, there are 17 states that are suing the federal government and asking for the court system to declare 504 protections unconstitutional... That's terrifying for families who have children with disabilities."
Nearly all employees at the department's Institute of Educational Sciences were fired, with more than 160 education research funding contracts and grants worth £900m cancelled.
Many research projects were in their fourth year of a five-year timeline.
