Oklahoma leaders ask Trump administration to cut federal strings on education funds

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma state leaders have urged President Donald Trump’s administration to bypass typical funding methods at the U.S. Department of Education and place federal dollars for schools directly in the state’s hands.

Republican leaders of the Oklahoma House and Senate endorsed state Superintendent Ryan Walters’ request submitted Tuesday to the Trump administration, which aims to close the federal Department of Education.

Providing state-controlled block grants is a method conservatives have supported, including in Project 2025, as a method to limit influence from Washington, D.C., over school policy and empower states to decide how to spend federal education funds.

The U.S. Department of Education pours hundreds of millions of dollars into Oklahoma schools to support a variety of programs, including those benefiting impoverished students, special education and English language learners, among many others. A majority of funds for Oklahoma public schools come from state and local sources.

In a letter to the Trump administration, Walters pledged that support for special education will continue. He didn’t specifically name any other federal programs for continued funding.

If the Trump administration agrees to dole out block grants, the Oklahoma State Department of Education would categorize schools “into types based on need” to direct funding and would offer a “diverse marketplace of solutions,” according to the letter.

The marketplace could include financial aid for families sending their children to private schools, the letter states, and would support schools offering classical education, which emphasizes the study of liberal arts and classic literature.

Oklahoma officials said the federal government’s current funding system comes with too many administrative burdens and bureaucratic layers. The U.S. Department of Education uses these mechanisms to ensure states and schools comply with federal regulations, including civil rights laws.

However, states and local school districts broadly control what is taught in the classroom. In Oklahoma, the state Department of Education and the Legislature set academic standards for the topics schools must teach at every grade level and in each class subject, and districts decide their own lesson plans for how to teach the mandatory topics.

Walters often criticized former President Joe Biden’s administration for leveraging federal funds to enforce policies that Republicans labeled radical — like non-discrimination protections for transgender students and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“President Trump’s vision for education is simple: empower parents, get politics out of the classroom and put students first,” Walters said in a statement. “Today, Oklahoma is raising our hand and saying we will be the first to take the reins of education for our students.”

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, supported the request for block grants. Both said they wish to see Oklahomans, rather than federal officials, have greater control of the state’s education system.

“We will continue our work on improving student outcomes and reducing the teacher shortage, which is best done by Oklahomans to the benefit of all Oklahoma students,” Hilbert said in a statement.

The heads of the Senate Education Committee, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and the House Education Oversight Committee, Rep. Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee, also supported the measure.

Trump issued an executive order recently, instructing his education secretary to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the U.S. Department of Education while ensuring services are uninterrupted.

Shutting down the federal agency would take an act of Congress, who created the department in 1979. Congressional Republicans are working to codify Trump’s order.

Democratic leaders in Oklahoma opposed the agency’s closure.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said eliminating federal oversight of education would give “more power and less accountability” to Walters, whose tenure in office has been a frequent source of controversy.

“This may be a win for him, but not for Oklahoma students, teachers or families,” Munson said in a statement last week.

Senate Democrats said they doubt closing the U.S. Department of Education would improve academic outcomes for Oklahoma students.

“We have seen nothing so far that gives me confidence this change will be well-planned or avoid negatively impacting student learning,” Senate Minority Leader Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, said. “Swift policy shifts at the state level have already had a negative impact on the classroom. Educators are left scrambling to understand what’s happening while simultaneously trying to support students and prepare for the upcoming school year. This is truly alarming.”

Oklahoma Voice (oklahomavoice.com) is an affiliate of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, supported by grants and donations. Oklahoma Voice provides nonpartisan reporting, and retains full editorial independence.