What exactly would be cut from the department — and exactly how it could be dismantled — is still unclear. But already, Southern California education officials say they are concerned about what the future of education will look like without the federal department — particularly when it comes to funding.

California received about $8 billion in funding for K-12 education and about $7 billion in funding for higher education in 2024.

NJ gets $1 billion in federal K-12 funding. 180,000 low-income NJ college students received $790 million in federal Pell Grants in 2022. Few doubted President Donald Trump's intention to act on his campaign promise to give states greater control over public schools,