After president-elect Donald Trump proposed a plan to eliminate the federal Department of Education earlier this month, Arkansas' Secretary of Education said that could be good for schools in the state because it might come with less government oversight.
Public education in Arkansas is funded through a mix of state, local and federal money. In 2023, the K-12 budget totaled $6.9 billion - with 19% of that coming from the federal government, according to the Bureau of Legislative Research. Federal assistance in schools is often funneled toward special education and resources for low-income students - including initiatives like the National School Lunch Program, which offers free and reduced meals to qualifying students.
Ozarks at Large spoke with Keesa Smith-Brantley, the executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, about what dissolving the Department of Education could mean for students in Arkansas.
