CINCINNATI — Nearly half of the Department of Education's workforce will be laid off, leaving local public education advocates concerned about the future.
More than 1,300 staffers received termination letters Tuesday night informing them they will be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21. Those positions include staff at regional offices like the one in Ohio.
While the move was expected, teachers in the Tri-State are worried about what those cuts will mean for them.
"We're not shocked by what President Trump is doing, but we are disgusted by what President Trump is doing — to just take an axe to the Department of Education without any concerns about the consequences of what that means to our students," Cropper said.
You can watch to learn more about the breakdown of federal education dollars here:
The Trump administration says they want states to have more control over how tax dollars are spent.
"What we did was take the first step of doing what I think is eliminating bureaucratic bloat," U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said.
Teachers and administrators are not sold. The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers expressed concerns about potential funding cuts that could threaten education at a CPS board meeting earlier this month.
"DOGE and the administration make it sound as if dismantling our bureaucracy will have no collateral damages to our students," Julie Sellers, president of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, said to the CPS board.
Teachers at the meeting worried about the return of money to the states, noting a decrease in funding for public schools in Gov. Mike DeWine's proposed state budget.
Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Shauna Murphy referenced those cuts in a letter to staff and parents, calling on the community to contact their local legislators.
"The proposed Ohio budget, combined with proposed federal cuts to education funding, threaten the critical progress we are making for our students, while placing an undue financial burden on our local community. ... These drastic reductions, which don’t account for years of inflation, will force districts like CPS to either place a greater burden on local taxpayers or cut critical programs and services that support student success," Murphy said in part.
Federal dollars accounted for about $3.18 billion or 11.6% of Ohio public schools' budget and 10% of CPS' nearly $600 million budget.
"It's imperative that individuals across the state and from every school district reach out to their people in Congress ... and demand that this be stopped," said Cropper.
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