Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Newsmax on Thursday his proposed bill to eliminate the Department of Education is all about giving more power back to the states.
“The department was created in 1979. We’ve seen no increase in student improvements anyplace,” Rounds told “National Report.” “In some cases, it’s actually gone down over the years. And I attribute a lot of that to a one-size fits all mentality at the department level.”
While his bill would eliminate the department, Rounds said there are many programs he would maintain, including ones that oversee special education and student loans that would be moved over to agencies.
“The funding goes with them. The entire office comes out of the Department of Education and moves directly back into one of the others,” Rounds said. “Those programs that were critical, that people support, would be maintained along with their funding.”
The remaining funding would go to schools in terms of block grants on a state-by-state basis, Rounds said.
“We want the states and local units of government to have more of a say in terms of how their kids are taught,” Rounds said. “My goal is to preserve those programs. Special education is critical. Impact aid is critical. We haven’t cut a single dollar from going back into those programs — nor have we cut a single dollar from going back into the states.”
Ultimately, Rounds said, states will know “best.”
“Every single state in the union should have the ability to try their best to teach their kids,” Rounds said. “We’re really trying to give many of the decisions back to local units of government.”
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