•    "While those who want to terminate the Department of Education assert that whatever civil rights protections and programs they may want to continue to enforce and fund can be done elsewhere, Project 2025 is clear that the federal role should be dramatically reduced, several aid programs should be narrowed or eliminated, and ED should be eliminated. Eliminating a central hub of expertise and fracturing the administration of related programs over several other agencies is designed to make them less effective for students and families and hinder cooperation and efficiency between civil servants, states, districts, schools, and colleges and universities. It also puts responsibilities on other agencies who don’t have expertise in those areas, have their own goals and priorities, and provides zero extra funding for hiring, training, or other important planning steps, let alone actual administrative action. While all of this is happening, rights aren’t being enforced, aid is being held up to students, states, schools, and colleges, technical assistance isn’t being provided to grantees, and student loan repayment applications aren’t being processed." Source: Reid Setzer, Director of Government Affairs at EdTrust

•    "This is absurd. The Dept. of Ed ensures equity in schools, funds low-income districts (Title I), provides financial aid, supports special ed (IDEA), enforces civil rights, collects key data, and sets standards. If cut, it will widen disparities and harm students nationwide." Source: Rep. Kadyn Wittman (Democrat, South Dakota House of Representatives, District 15)

•    "The U.S. Department of Education plays a crucial role in protecting our most vulnerable children, ensuring they receive the quality education they deserve. Programs such as Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) are designed to support low-income and disabled children and are vital to their success and well-being. Transferring these programs to other departments would expose these children to bureaucracies where their specific needs are not the primary focus, leaving them vulnerable and underserved." Source: Loren Paul, President of South Dakota Education Association