Statement from All4Ed CEO Amy Loyd on President Trump’s FY26 Budget Proposal
June 4, 2025
Contact: Enrique A. Chaurand
Email: echaurand@all4ed.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — “The Trump administration released its FY2026 budget late last Friday to avoid public scrutiny—and with good reason. This proposal isn’t just a blueprint for funding cuts; it’s a roadmap for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education as we know it and abandoning our students who need support the most.
“The full budget proposal calls for a staggering $12 billion cut to the U.S. Department of Education—slashing its funding by 15 percent. It would rewrite key provisions of special education law, zero out funding for migrant learners in Title I, students learning English in Title III, and adult learners, and give states unprecedented discretion with little accountability. The consequences would be felt most deeply by the students who can least afford it.
“The so-called “simplified funding program” would consolidate 18 K-12 programs into a block grant, including programs for children experiencing homelessness, rural students, and justice-involved youth. This consolidation threatens to dilute funding for essential programs that support critical resources like educator and school leader training, afterschool programs, college and career pathways, literacy and access to a well-rounded curriculum, and more. While claiming to make federal program administration “simpler” for state leaders by consolidating requirements, the reality would be that these programs would be simpler to administer because they would no longer exist. Only $2 billion would be provided in FY26 for this block grant, a nearly 70% cut from current funding levels across these critical programs.
“The proposal would also make deep cuts to federal student aid, including Pell Grants and Federal Work Study, placing higher education further out of reach for millions. These aren’t “tough choices”—they’re deliberate decisions that would disproportionately hurt students of color, students from low-income families, and students with disabilities.
“And as if the programmatic cuts weren’t enough, this proposal continues a dangerous pattern of undermining civil rights. The budget includes steps to dismantle the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights; the very entity charged with enforcing laws that protect students from discrimination. At a time when students of color, LGBTQ+ students, English learners, and students with disabilities face real and growing threats, the proposed weakening of this office is as indefensible as it is intentional.
“In the name of promoting more efficient and effective policy, the proposal would also undermine our ability to know if key education investments are working by slashing more than half a billion dollars from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This would significantly inhibit the agency’s capacity for research and development, statistical analyses, and dissemination. It would ultimately undermine public transparency and access to key education data that would demonstrate the devastating impacts of the proposed cuts on students and communities.
“As I said earlier this month: Let’s be clear: federal budgets are not household budgets. The money from these cuts does not go back to the bank. It simply vanishes—taking with it the educators, counselors, programs, and protections that help our students succeed.
“At All4Ed, we remain committed to advancing equity in America’s schools and fighting for a federal education agenda that reflects the dignity, worth, and potential of every learner.”
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