Activists lined the Central Avenue bridge on Friday in Great Falls to rally against the defunding of the U.S. Department of Education – a push being made by the Trump Administration.
“There’s going to be a big impact here,” explained one of the activists, Jess Yeagley.
WATCH:
Mass layoffs and firings are taking place within the Department of Education in order to comply with President Trump’s plan to dismantle the agency – pushing for states to have educational control and a say in where funding is placed.
When asked how soon he wanted the department to be closed, he responded back in February, “Oh, I'd like it to be closed immediately. Look, the Department of Education's a big con job.”
Abolishing the department completely will require Congressional approval and 60 votes from the United States Senate, which will take time.
Worry about the impact of these layoffs and the future of federal education funding is trickling down to the state level. For a group in Great Falls, the concern is enough to stand up.
“We have a large low-income population here in the school system,” Yeagley stated. “We depend on federal dollars, and it's going to be very hard to make up that money in our state school system.”
Jasmine Taylor, a community activist held a sign that read, “Fund Schools, not Space X.” She brought up that many are worried that the change will cause a lack of access to educational programs and will have negative impact on teachers and students.
She explained, “Great Falls especially knows how important it is to have quality education for our kids, for everyone to have the opportunity to go to college, you know, for kids with special needs to get the services that they deserve to have access.”
As debates continue over the future of federal involvement in education, communities across the country and speaking out to ensure the voices of students, educators, and families are heard.
