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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A judge ordering federal workers who’ve been let go by the Trump administration, to be reinstated. That includes the Department of Education.
The Trump administration laid off half the Education Department’s workforce on Tuesday night.
And the teachers’ union here in Houston says those workers are crucial when it comes to funding school districts.
Union president Jackie Anderson says many employees from the department are ones that help with funding that goes to school districts. Those funds go to things like pell grants, student loans, financial aid, speech & occupational therapy, and special education programs.
So how much do school districts rely on federal funding? Our ABC News team looked at some of the larger ones in the Houston area.
In the 2021-2022 school year, HISD received 23% of its revenue from the DOE, Cy-Fair ISD received 16%, and Fort Bend received 15%.
This is what President Trump said about education this week. “We want education to be moved back, where the states run education, where the parents of the children will be running education, where governors that are doing a very good job will be running education,” he said.
If layoffs go into effect and federal funding shrinks, schools, which critics say are already underfunded by the state, will feel long-term effects.
“I think the students are being set up for failure. The things that they would have gotten to ensure success or for teachers. Even professional development from teachers even comes from the DOE. And so, teachers can provide high-quality instruction. Who is going to provide that now?” Anderson said.
