'Our students will suffer' | Cincinnati Teachers Union warns against potential federal, state funding cuts

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers is expressing serious concerns about potential funding cuts that could threaten public education.

At a meeting Monday night, union representatives advocated for action from the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) board in response to the potential for significant reductions at both the federal and state levels.

“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.

Her comments come as the teachers union prepares for a Day of Action scheduled for Tuesday to raise awareness about the potential impacts of the funding cuts. The union is organizing a “clap-in” for CPS schools to show support for public education. Those events will be followed by various press conferences.

Clayton Adams, a district teacher, highlighted the urgency of combating the federal government: “The time is now to stand up and fight back against school privatization efforts and Trump-proof this district.”

While the CPS board was hearing from various community members, the Senate confirmed a new Secretary of Education in a party-line vote of 51-45.

Linda McMahon, co-founder of WWE, will head up the Department of Education, where she is expected to make significant changes.

In a post on X, McMahon said she intended to “make good” on President Donald Trump's promises to make U.S. education the best in the world, return education to the states, and free students from bureaucracy through school choice.

Trump has previously criticized the Department: “I’d like it to be closed immediately. Look, the Department of Education's a big con job.”

Teachers union members at the CPS board meeting were uncomfortable with the return of money to the states, citing a decrease in funding for public schools in the new Ohio budget.

Funding to traditional school districts is expected to decrease $103.4 million in the next two years, according to an analysis by the Ohio Education Policy Institute. In the same time period, the analysis found an increase to voucher funding (+$265.4 million) and charter and STEM schools (+$221.8 million)

Local teachers worry a decrease in federal funding could adversely impact vulnerable students, with cuts particularly impacting support services like speech therapy.

“Without those programs, our students will suffer. Their parents will not be able to provide the needed assistance for them,” said Dr. Winona Oliver, a special education liaison with the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers.

The school board itself doesn’t have clarity on what federal funds might be cut. The Trump administration has only speculated about its proposed broader cuts without announcing the specifics. The Ohio budget is far from finalized. The teachers union is asking the board to prepare a plan to address possible funding deficiencies.

WATCH: Cincinnati teachers warn against funding cuts for their students

School Board President Kareem Moffett, PhD, said she was proud of teachers for speaking up at the meeting and called the potential cuts “amazingly ridiculous.”

“I’m glad that our community is aware and that they’re coming together and that they’re willing to help us fight for our kids,” Moffett said.

However, she said the board is in “a holding pattern.”

“Right now our hands are tied because it doesn't make sense to come out against something that's not final,” Moffett said.

The school board president said she needs people to publicly support district students and rally against the cuts.

“As they become more final, we’ll have a louder perspective, because we’ll know where we need to direct our energy,” Moffett said.

During the meeting, Karen Imbus, a field representative for the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, warned about the implications of potential cuts: “We all know the squeeze is coming, and that is exactly what the people who are trying to decimate and dismantle public education intend.”

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