Key Takeaways
- The White House is expected soon to issue an executive order to abolish the U.S. Department of Education.
- Stripping the department of its resources and mission would be catastrophic for the approximately 165,000 North Dakotans who qualify as low-income families.
- ND United, educators, parents and other allies will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all ND students have well-resourced schools.
$162 Million
260
In a widely expected move, President Donald Trump will at any minute issue an executive order—or a series of orders—aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education (ED), while also urging Congress to abolish it outright.
There has been a series of moves meant to destabilize public schools and target some of our most vulnerable students. They include stripping schools of critical funding, launching national school voucher programs, and providing more funding and less oversight for private charter operators.
Dismantling the Department of Education would have a profound and far-reaching impact on North Dakota schools, the full extent of which we cannot yet fully comprehend. But, according to the Department of Education, in 2024 North Dakota students received over $162 million in federal funding.
Here's a breakdown regarding the funding ND students would stand to lose annually:
- $52.5 million in grants to local educational agencies (ESA, Title 1, Part A
- $3.5 million in state assessments (ESEA Title I, Part B)
- $10.5 million in grants supporting effective instruction (ESEA Title II, Part A)
- $6.5 million in state grants for community learning centers
- $1.58 million in rural education grants
- $2.8 million in Indian education grants
- $36.3 million in impact aid (ESEA Title VII)
- $360,000 in education funding for homeless children
- $39 million in state special education grants
- $900,000 in grants for special education in preschools
- $2.6 million in grants for families with disabled infants
- $5.9 million for career & technical education
Children with Disabilities
As of the 2022-2023 school year, approximately 17,700 students in North Dakota public schools were identified as having disabilities, accounting for 14.9% of the state's public school enrollment.
In recent years, North Dakota has typically received around $40–50 million annually from the Department of Education in IDEA Part B grants, which support special education services for children aged 3–21.
This funding is distributed to school districts across the state to help cover the costs of providing individualized education programs (IEPs), specialized instruction, mental health interventions, educator training, and technology improvements for students with disabilities.
Low-income Assistance
As of the 2023-2024 school year, approximately 30% of North Dakota public school students—over 42,000 children—were participating in Title I programs.
To address the needs of these students, 260 schools in North Dakota are designated as Title I schools, meaning they receive federal funding to support educational programs for students from low-income families. Title I schools use these funds to provide additional resources such as tutoring, instructional materials, and teacher training, with the goal of improving academic outcomes and ensuring equitable opportunities for all students.
The U.S. Department of Education provides critical funding to North Dakota through programs like Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which is designed to improve academic achievement in high-poverty schools. In in 2021-2022 school year, North Dakota received $3,500 of federal funding per K-12 public school student. That amounts to 18.7% of total funding, or one in every five dollars of public schools funding.
These funds are distributed to school districts to support initiatives such as supplemental instruction, early childhood education, teacher professional development, and family engagement programs.
Additionally, the Department of Education administers the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows schools in high-poverty areas to offer free meals to all students, ensuring that low-income children have access to nutritious food—a key factor in academic success.
These programs play a vital role in helping our low-income students, helping to close achievement gaps and provide equitable opportunities for success.
What Can You do?
The threat to public education and the potential dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education isn’t just another policy debate—it’s an all-out attack on the future of our children and our communities. This is a call to action for anyone who believes in equitable access to quality education. The time to sit on the sidelines is over. Here’s how you can stand up and make a difference:
1. Join a Union— Alone We Beg, Together We Demand
Let’s be clear: the only thing we have is our collective power. Politicians and special interests are counting on us to stay divided, to feel small, to think we can’t make a difference. When educators, parents, and community members unite through unions, we become an unstoppable force. Members of North Dakota United are on the front lines, fighting for fair funding, safe schools, and the resources our students deserve. By joining a union, you’re not just standing up for yourself—you’re standing up for every child who depends on public education.
2. Contact Your Representatives—Make Your Voice Heard
Legislators work for us, not the other way around. It’s time to flood their inboxes and clog up their phone lines.
Tell them in no uncertain terms: We will not tolerate cuts to public education. We will not stand for the dismantling of the Department of Education. Share your stories, your outrage, and your demands. When they hear from enough of us, they’ll have no choice but to listen—or face the consequences at the polls.
3. Get Involved—Apathy is What They’re Counting On
Legislators want us to stay silent, stay home, and let them make decisions without us. But we won’t let that happen. The more involved we are, the louder our voices become. North Dakota United holds events year-round to ensure that educators and public servants are heard. Your presence matters. Your voice matters. And together, we can’t be ignored.
Public education is the backbone of North Dakota, and right now, it’s under siege. But when we come together—when we join unions and show up in force—we become a movement too powerful to ignore. This isn’t just about funding or policies. This is about the future of our children, our communities, and our state.
ND Schools Need the Department of Education
Public education isn’t just a system—it’s the foundation of opportunity for thousands of North Dakotans. Right now, that foundation is being chipped away by cuts, privatization schemes, and attacks on the Department of Education.
This isn’t about politics. It isn’t about Left or Right. It’s about the real lives of North Dakotans.
It’s about the 30% of North Dakota kids who attend rural schools, who rely on federal funding to keep classrooms open.
It’s about the 17,700 students with disabilities in ND, who rely on federal funding for specialized instruction and mental health services.
It’s about the 35,000 low-income kids in ND who depend on federal Title I programs for the resources they need to succeed in school.
We can’t let them dismantle what generations have built. We can’t let them tell us there’s no money for schools while they hand out tax breaks to corporations. This is where we draw the line. This is where we fight back—not with empty words, but with action. Show up. Speak out. Because if we don’t fight for public education, who will?
