‘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.