Idaho Superintendent reacts to Trump’s Department of Education proposal

BOISE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — President Donald Trump and his administration are drafting an executive order that could lead to the end of the U.S. Department of Education.

With the existence of the federal department in jeopardy, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield released a statement on Tuesday expressing her interest in giving more control to the states.

“The more control states have over K-12 public education, the better off students in those states will be,” Critchfield said. “I welcome any steps that give Idahoans more control over Idaho schools.”

Critchfield said that a change of this magnitude means that the specifics of the new education model will be necessary.

“Federal funding, for instance, remains a key component in how we fund education here in Idaho,” Critchfield said. “How those dollars would be distributed under a new model is something I will closely monitor.”

Trump’s order would call on the Secretary of Education to submit a proposal to dismantle the department, calling on Congress to push legislation to eliminate it.

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