In a move that has sparked significant concern among educators and families across Nevada, President Donald Trump is working to drastically reduce the Department of Education. In an executive order issued on Thursday, Trump approved the dismissal of half of the department's workforce, as reported by the Nevada Independent.

While the president claims Pell grants, Title I funding, and resources for children with disabilities and special needs will be 'fully preserved,' the executive order has the potential to hamstring quality and access to education, especially in rural and urban areas. Nevada, already languishing near the bottom nationwide in per-pupil funding, could see its education budget further strained. According to KOLOTV, the state ranks 48th in public schools, and is currently $4000 behind a national average in per-pupil funding.

The Nevada Democratic Party has expressed firm opposition against these measures. Attorney General Aaron Ford, who might run for governor, accused Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo of sacrificing "Nevada’s kids and their futures" to gain favor with Trump and his base, as reported by the Nevada Independent. Lombardo, however, defended the cuts in an op-ed, arguing for increased educational choices for parents and reduced federal oversight.

Advocates and educators worry about the fallout from these cuts. Clark County School District, where 17 percent of the budget is federally sourced, could be particularly impacted. Federal spending as a share of total education spending is higher in Nevada compared to the national average, and any cuts to special education, which relies up to 40 percent on federal funding, would be acutely felt. Alexander Marks of the Nevada State Education Association warned in the Nevada Independent that, "all the programs being administered — the civil rights issues being fought, the student loan issues being dealt with — all of that's going to come to a screeching halt because there's just not the workforce to deal with it."

Amid uncertainty and fear, parents like Michelle Booth, a communications director for Educate Nevada Now and mother to a child with autism, are particularly concerned. "The idea that that's just going to be cut is outrageous to me. It would be detrimental to my family,” Booth told The Nevada Independent. With potential court battles looming and Nevadans grappling with the implications of these sweeping changes, the state’s education system remains poised on the brink of a significant transformation.