‘Get rid of the Department of Education’: Andy Ogles would defund public school students

Ogles would cut funding for special education students, low-income neighborhoods and food assistance

The U.S. Department of Education provides more than $1.1 billion of funding to Tennessee students each year, but if it were up to Andy Ogles, he’d get rid of it.

Ogles has made eliminating the U.S. Department of Education a key part of his campaign. In June, Ogles told a podcast “massive cuts” to the education department were his top budget priority.

“Who gets cut first, right? If you could wave a magic wand… you get rid of the Department of Education,” Ogles said.

The consequences for Tennessee students and our state economy would be devastating. Federal funding accounts for 10% of the state’s K-12 education budget, but the allocations are targeted to students with the greatest needs.

Here’s how the largest programs split the funding:

• $300 million supports Title I schools, which serve students from economically distressed neighborhoods. For instance, 100% of the schools in Lewis County have a Title I designation. Seven out of nine schools in Marshall County are designated Title I.
• $221 million is dedicated to providing children with disabilities equal educational opportunities.
• $400 million is invested in child nutrition, which makes sure children do not go hungry while at school.
• $21.5 million supports vocational programs that prepare students for hard-to-fill technical jobs that our state economy needs to grow.

LISTEN: Andy Ogles says ‘get rid of the Department of Education’

Andy Ogles would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, defunding our public schools

• Ogles: “If you are going to defund an agency, you are going to defund the Department of Education and let’s give that authority back to the states.” [WKRN, 9/1/22]
• “Who gets cut first, right? If you could wave a magic wand… you get rid of the Department of Education… We gotta make massive cuts to the Department of Education.” [The Pamphleteer, 5:50, 6/14/22]
• Defunding the U.S. Department of Education would hurt Tennessee public school students. Federal funding is targeted making sure kids do not go hungry, low-income students and students with disabilities.
• But Ogles has a history of supporting schemes that defund public school districts.