The Supreme Court ruled Monday the Trump administration could go ahead with firing more than thirteen-hundred Department of Education employees, effectively gutting the institution.
The Kentucky Education Association says department cuts could cause Kentucky schools to lose hundreds of million dollars that support programs like school lunches, support for low-income students and funding for special education.
Laura Hartke is an organizer with Ky 120 United AFT, a statewide teachers union. She says that could cut services to schools,
“There's going to be layoffs, there's going to be programs cut. There's going to be issues with our most vulnerable students losing the services that they need, and it kind of all ties in together,” Hartke said.
Hartke says those cuts could particularly hurt rural districts.
“I worked in a rural district before I was in Fayette County, those funds are crucial,” she said. “I mean, schools are kind of hanging on by a thread, especially in the rural areas.”
The state is one of only six that gets more than 20% of its funding from the federal government. During the 2023-2024 school year, the state got nearly $2 billion in federal funding for education, accounting for nearly 30% of its budget.
