Each week, “Answer Key” aims to help families by responding to an important question about education and schools in Greater Houston. If you have a question for us to answer, please email us at education@houstonlanding.org or fill out the form at the end of this article.

This week’s question:

How will Donald Trump’s victory affect public schools in Greater Houston?

President-elect Donald Trump is returning to the White House in just over two months, promising to smash the status quo in virtually every aspect of American life — including the schoolhouse.

On the campaign trail, Trump made dramatic commitments regarding education, vowing to  dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and expand options for families to use public funds on private schools, homeschooling and other education expenses.

Yet the federal government has relatively limited influence over education in America, so it’s not clear how much Houston-area schools might change during a second Trump term.

Here’s what we know and what we don’t about what Trump’s victory might mean for local schools.

What are Trump’s plans for education?

During his first presidency, Trump appointed staunch school choice and voucher proponent Betsy DeVos as education secretary. He also used executive memos and reports to spark a movement against teaching about anti-racism, which made its way across the country, including to the Houston suburbs.

This time, the incoming 47th president pledged to: 

• Defend students’ rights to pray and read the Bible in school.
  
• Expand education savings accounts, through which families get taxpayer money to use on private school tuition and other education costs.
  
• Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, a longtime goal of many on the far-right that still may prove difficult to reach.
  
• Broaden “parental rights” in education, a buzzword that commonly describes policies allowing families to wield more power over whether schools teach lessons about race, class, sex and gender.

How would these plans impact Houston-area schools?

The president and federal government have limited direct influence over education in Houston. That’s because local school boards and state legislatures hold the vast majority of power.

In Texas, the state Legislature largely decides how schools are funded, relying almost exclusively on money collected through various state taxes and local property taxes. The federal government provides a small share of a school district’s overall revenue, using it as a main incentive for ensuring they follow federal laws.

The Texas Legislature and State Board of Education also decide what Texas students learn, with few exceptions.

Meanwhile, local school boards and administrators hold lots of sway over district policies and the day-to-day operations of schools in their communities. For example, they choose curriculums, decide the academic calendar and determine teacher pay.

Will school funding change under Trump?

Trump’s platform says he intends to close the federal Department of Education and “let states run our education system.” However, it remains unclear whether shuttering the Department of Education means eliminating federal funding for schools or changing the way it flows to them.

Even if Trump makes funding changes, they would likely have a modest impact on district budgets. The U.S. government provides only a small fraction of the funds for school operations in Texas, making up about 4 percent of Texas districts’ general budgets in 2022-23, equivalent to about $400 per student, according to state data. School districts use money from their general fund to pay for staff salaries, campus maintenance and contractor fees, among other expenses.

The U.S. government does provide a large share of funding for school meals. Some Republicans have suggested altering that program, which would have much larger ripple effects for schools, though Trump’s agenda doesn’t mention plans for school meals funding.

The bigger battles over school funding will be waged at the Texas Capitol, as school districts across the state already face steep budget holes. 

Many education advocates hope Texas legislators increase state funding for public schools, which hasn’t significantly increased since 2019 despite surging inflation. However, more public school funding likely will be tied to the passage of Texas’ first voucher plan. 

In the short term, the bump in public school funding will be dramatically higher than the amount set aside for vouchers if lawmakers adopt legislation similar to proposals made in 2023. 

Still, some education leaders worry Texas will later expand the voucher system, drawing billions of dollars away from public schools. Each student that uses voucher funds to leave a public school district and attend private school means less money for their home district.

What would closing the U.S. Department of Education mean?

It’s unclear whether Trump will be able to shutter the federal government’s education branch, which would require an act of Congress. But if he does, low-income students could experience the brunt of the fallout.

Some of the Department of Education’s chief responsibilities include administering the Title I program, which supports high-poverty K-12 schools, and Pell Grants, which go to college students in high financial need.

In addition, the change would cast uncertainty over the process for resolving potential civil rights violations in schools, which has historically fallen under the Department of Education. 

The Department’s Office of Civil Rights responds to instances of racial, religious and gender-based discrimination in schools, among other things. In fiscal year 2023, the office received over 19,000 complaints, resolving almost 8,000, according to its annual report. The agency did not say how many complaints came from Texas.

In addition, the Education Department and other parts of the federal government have the power to launch investigations into districts over potential violations of special education law, non-discrimination law and more. Trump would have the power to scale back the federal government’s oversight role.

How else could Trump influence local schools?

Ultimately, most of Trump’s power over Houston-area schools likely involves putting a spotlight on school issues decided by state and local leaders.

For example, during Trump’s first term, his administration’s memos and reports criticizing the New York Times’ 1619 Project contributed to a nationwide push by conservatives to stop schools from teaching certain lessons about race and gender. 

Several Houston-area districts, including Katy and Conroe ISDs, later passed policies to review and ban books deemed controversial, most of which dealt with issues of race, gender or sexuality. Katy also enacted a policy in 2023 requiring staff to notify families if their children began using gender pronouns other than the ones assigned to them at birth, impacting 19 students in the initial months of operation and spurring a federal investigation.

A second Trump presidency may embolden state and local leaders to adopt more of his agenda in Texas.

At the state level, the Texas Education Agency recently embraced new elementary reading curriculums that include lessons from the Bible, a step toward infusing more Christianity into public schools.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has moved in close alignment with Trump on a wide array of policy areas, including education. Most notably, Abbott worked to oust Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives who opposed vouchers. After Election Day, Abbott said he now has enough votes in the House to pass a school voucher system after Democrats and some Republicans successfully fought it off in 2023.

Asher Lehrer-Small covers Houston ISD for the Landing. Find him @by_ash_ls on Instagram and @small_asher on X, or reach him directly at asher@houstonlanding.org.

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