Sunday, March 16, 2025
As President Trump considers executive action to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, local districts like Lynbrook and East Rockaway are closely monitoring the potential impact on their budgets.
The Trump administration’s plan, which could eliminate a range of federal education functions, has raised concerns about the future of funding for schools across the nation.
According to Michael Van Wart, the East Rockaway School District’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, the district receives nearly $500,000 annually from the DOE, and potential changes at the federal level are an “obvious concern.”
“As it relates to the Department of Education, the Executive Order has not been signed and released yet so everything is pure speculation at this point,” Van Wart said in a statement to the Herald. “We are monitoring the situation to see how things develop and if there is any impact on the district.”
Paul J. Lynch, superintendent of Lynbrook schools, echoed Van Wart’s remarks in a statement to the Herald, saying that if the district lost the $1.2 million in annual funding it receives from the DOE, it could hinder student resources — or burden taxpayers.
“A disruption in these funds could force us to make difficult decisions that may impact educational resources, staffing and student support programs,” Lynch said. “Additionally, any funding gaps may place a greater financial burden on local taxpayers to maintain the quality of education our community expects and deserves.”
Other federal agencies also provide funding for education, including the Department of Health and Human Services, which funds the Head Start program for preschoolers, and the Department of Agriculture.
About a quarter of the Lynbrook Union Free School District’s federal funding comes from the DOE. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Lynbrook receives $4.6 in federal funds each year, while East Rockaway receives $3.1 million.
The districts and their taxpayers have dealt with uncertainty over schools budgets and revenue streams in the past, particularly before a 2 percent tax cap went into effect in 2012.
At the time, East Rockaway’s school district had to make difficult decisions about what to cut, often eliminating smaller, less expensive programs, which over time impacted the educational experience, said Kristin Ochtera, president of the East Rockaway Education Foundation.
Responding to community concerns about annual budget debates and potential cuts to school programs, local community leaders formed the nonprofit foundation 25 years ago to offer financial support to the school district. The goal, Ochtera explained, was to provide seed money for innovative ideas and enhancements to the curriculum that might not fit into the district’s regular budget. That includes funding for special projects, guest speakers, exhibits and other educational initiatives.
“We wanted to give teachers, administrators and even students the ability to test out something outside the ordinary, something that could add value to the learning experience,” she said.
Before many schools had robotics education, the foundation created a pilot program in the high school. “We helped buy the components for the robotics program when the district wasn’t ready to invest in it yet,” Ochtera noted.
While the foundation has supported smaller-scale projects, its budget cannot replace large-scale funding cuts, she said.
“Something like getting rid of the Department of Education would have giant ramifications,” Ochtera said.
DOE funding often assists students who need individualized aid. Some 27 percent of students in the East Rockaway district are economically disadvantaged, 16 percent have disabilities and 4 percent are English Language Learners. The federal Title 1 program provides financial assistance to schools with a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, to help ensure that they meet academic standards, offering additional resources for tutoring, supplemental services and academic interventions.
Federal funding for students with disabilities is made possible by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which ensures that those students have access to free public education. The funding supports special-education services, Individualized Education Plans and other resources to help them succeed academically and socially.
Title III funding helps schools provide language-assistance programs, including English as a Second Language services, bilingual education and professional development for teachers.
“There’s so much that a tiny little school district like East Rockaway relies on that comes from the federal level,” Ochtera said. “I can’t even imagine how that would reverberate through the district,” she added, referring to Trump’s plan.
The funds from the federal DOE can help general educational costs.
At a news conference on Feb. 9, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state allocates $3.2 billion in federal funding in its budget for general education costs.
“If that money is jeopardized, what I can tell you will happen is if localities lose that money, they will have to raise taxes,” Hochul said.
