There’s been much talk nationwide about the fate of the U.S. Department of Education. The new presidential administration has threatened to abolish the federal government agency, and at least one Congressman has already drafted legislation to do just that. 

At times, these moves in Washington can feel so far away, so disconnected from our daily lives, that our brains automatically push them to the side in favor of concentrating on more immediate issues. 

But is abolishing the U.S. Department of Education really a “far away” issue?

Here’s a look at just a few things that would happen right here in Sullivan County if the department were to go away. 

Potential impact: Federal funding to support students with disabilities would become more complicated to access. The current education department is in charge of setting rules for how districts identify and serve these kids, as well as administering federal funding to support them. This money won’t disappear — the federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) would have to be changed by Congress to eliminate services for students receiving special education services — but a whole new bureaucratic system would have to be established, something sure to take a significant amount of time. 

How it affects us here in Sullivan County: Students with disabilities make up 16 percent of the student population in Sullivan County’s eight public school districts (according to New York Education Department data). This school year, the Monticello School District alone has been allotted more than $1.4 million in federal IDEA funding. If that funding were harder to get, districts — and taxpayers like us — would have to make up for it ourselves.

Potential impact: Federal monies known as Title 1 funds would also become more difficult to access. Based on poverty levels in school district populations, these federal funds are provided for a host of student support, from purchasing instructional materials to paying the salaries of certain school staff. Like IDEA, Title 1 is part of federal law and would not disappear overnight, but again a new system would have to be established to administer the program ... which also cannot occur overnight. 

How it affects us here in Sullivan County: More than half — 61 percent — of Sullivan County’s public school students are considered “economically disadvantaged,” which means districts are eligible for Title 1 funds to support them. In the 2022-2023 school year, $1.1 million in Title 1 funding was allocated to the Fallsburg School district alone.

Potential impact: The federal education department doesn’t just handle funding. It’s also in charge of enforcing federal civil rights laws in schools. Already, the department has announced rollback of many of its civil rights focused initiatives, including a press release issued January 23 of this year with a McCarthy era-esque warning that the department is working to identify other initiatives and groups “that may be advancing a divisive DEI agenda, including programs using coded or imprecise language to disguise their activity.”

How it affects us here in Sullivan County: A review of pending cases in front of the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) revealed four complaints that have been lodged against Sullivan County schools are set to be reviewed. The complaints range from claims of illegal retaliation to illegal restraint and seclusion.  

It may feel like a far away problem, but there’s no doubt it’s a local one too.